Rain of Nightmares
by ChargingForwardBlind
Summary: When sleep is no longer a pleasant sanctuary, and nightmares rampage nightly across the minds of hamsters everywhere, a new adventure unfolds for the ham-hams and friends, more epic than the last. Sequel to Guardian Towers. HB, SM, others. T to be safe!
1. Prologue: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

**CFB: ***_Insert random blabbering here_* Okay, here's the sequel to _Guardian Towers_! Dundun_dun_! I'm back!

Hopefully I still have some tricks up my sleeve for you...haha. It's only my 2nd Hamtaro fic, but I hope I've improved since _GT_. More romance this time around...I realize a lot of people like that, and even though I have the romantic capacity of a dead leaf, I'm gonna give it a shot. And some more _action_.

**Summary**: When sleep is no longer a pleasant sanctuary, and nightmares rampage nightly across the minds of hamsters everywhere, a new adventure unfolds. Laura's entering seventh grade at long last! Will she succumb to the drama of middle school, or rise above it to establish who she is? And the ham-hams, after a few weeks of peace, are relieved that the whole Legend of Fate ordeal is over. But when a hamster with a mysterious staff shows up at the Clubhouse one day, pleading for help, they find that they are needed once again. Throw in a were-ham, a powerful stone, a dash of romance, and a beautiful land suspended in the clouds, and you've got a recipe for a journey twice the proportions of Hamwall! Can the ham-hams bring an evil hamster to his knees and make sleep safe for ham-hams everywhere again? They better not get caught up in their dreams, or it's bound to be a nightmare! I'm going to beat that line to death...

As for pairings? I'll let you know there will be HB and SM, but the rest are a surprise. No OC's with canon though...I never pair OC's with canon.

Enjoy. Flames, constructive criticism, and nice reviews welcome. As well as advice! I'm always looking to improve.

**Disclaimer:** Hamtaro and all of it's characters are not owned by me. I own all OCs and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro show.

* * *

**Prologue:** _It Was a Dark and Stormy Night..._

"Fury! Joy! This is a matter of the utmost urgency!"

Princess Hamorette's bell-like voice was strong and commanding as it echoed within the intricate, moonlit throne room, strangely empty for a room of that title. Her expression was stern, bringing a sense of severity to a beautiful, angelic face, and she sat rigid in her golden throne, paws gripping the arms like they were her last link to life. Two male knights, armor-clad, their faces hidden beneath their helmets, stood on either side of her, poised and ready to defend if necessary.

Before the Princess, kneeling on the long red carpet leading from the door to the throne, were two other hamsters. These two were female, each holding a different, but equally beautiful staff. Their heads were bowed deeply, as if they could not bear to look their ruler in the face.

"We understand, Princess!" The first kneeling hamster spoke up in a tinkling voice, her goldenrod ears alert and amber eyes very serious, though she remained staring at the stone floor. A carnation-colored bandana was tied around her neck loosely. In her right paw was a staff, colored white, gold, and pink, with a brilliant yellow sun attached at the top, and intricate patterns decorating the wood. It radiated a faint aura of good cheer, though the bleak mood in the room clearly overshadowed it.

"Just tell us what you need us to do!" The second kneeling ham finished, grey eyes narrowed with focus, and paw tightening around her own staff. Hers was similar to her partners', although hers was black, red, and grey in color, and had a moon positioned at it's top. It radiated a more sinister aura, enhanced by the bleak atmosphere in the room, though it did not affect its' holder. Her russet colored ears were flat against her head with anger, a similarly colored diamond-marking covering her forehead. A pure-black bandana was her choice for attire.

The Princess carefully got to her feet to step closer to the two loyal hamsters kneeling before her, soft golden curls bouncing around her shoulders as she approached them. The two knights moved with her, one of them stiffer than the other, as if he were nervous. With brilliant blue eyes, he glanced quickly and frequently at the female hamster with the reddish-brown ears, as if he were concerned for her.

Princess Hamorette's brilliant green eyes were ice-cold and her voice clipped as she said, standing above the bowed hamsters and looking down on them, "The Stone of Slumber is essential to keep balance among hamster-kind. And now...it has fallen into the paws of a dangerous hamster. This is a very perilous situation. One that needs to be corrected immediately."

The two kneeling hamsters felt their muscles tighten with anticipation.

Princess Hamorette drew in a deep breath, locking her paws together behind her back. She continued, as a gentle rain pelted the highly-arched windows along the west and east walls, "And, as our Protectors of Slumber, it is _your _duty to bring it back to the right paws. I'm entrusting you with this mission because I know you will not fail me. The Stone of Slumber cannot be in _his_ paws for long, lest he use it to torment innocent, sleeping minds."

Each strengthened their grip on their staff. "We understand, Princess!" The two kneeling hamsters, accepting the duty with no complaints, agreed simultaneously.

Her eyes softening slightly, Princess Hamorette placed one paw on the goldenrod furred hamster's bowed head and said, her voice soft as a summer's breeze, "Joy, I wish you the best of luck. Use the Staff of Dreams to assist you, if you must. Bring the Stone of Slumber back to Dreamland!"

Joy nodded, amber eyes flashing. She got to her feet and stood upright, head held high, Staff of Dreams glowing faintly in her clenched paw. With the other paw, she tightened the pink bandana around her neck.

Princess Hamorette then placed one gentle paw on the other's head. However, this time, her voice was sterner rather than lighter. "Fury, the Staff of Nightmares may come in handy on this mission. But do not let it control you, and don't let it fall into his hands. He will do whatever it takes to control nightmares, but you must not let him have that _and _the Stone of Slumber, or all will be lost. Don't let him prevail!"

Fury also nodded, though it was accompanied with a nervous intake of breath. Grasping the Staff of Nightmares with both slightly-trembling paws, she also stood up and stared valiantly forward, grey eyes still narrowed.

In unison, Fury and Joy, the Protectors of Slumber, touched their contrasting staffs together and declared, "We will not fail you, Princess Hamorette!"

The Princess nodded at them in approval, and forced herself to turn around. Watching the two young hamsters leave would be difficult for her; especially since they were departing the safety of Dreamland to try and get the vital Stone of Slumber back from the most vicious villain the peaceful settlement in the clouds had ever seen. Fury and Joy were lethal as a duo, coupled with their respective staffs, but Princess Hamorette was still very anxious about sending them off into such a precarious predicament. An uncomfortable knot had formed in her stomach, and she found that she could not even bring her lips to form a fake smile to try and relieve some of the tension that had seized her pounding heart.

Fury and Joy turned to embark on their mission, just as Princess Hamorette headed back for her lustrous throne, oneknight at her side. Joy took off running for the double doors at the other end of the room, mission in mind and carnation bandana billowing behind her. Fury was about to follow her when the remaining knight grabbed her paw and halted her mid-step. Surprised, Fury turned around to see his icy cerulean eyes boring fiercely into her grey ones, though the rest of his face and body was shielded beneath coal black armor, keeping his identity practically anonymous. However, Fury knew those eyes well enough to know who was under the armor. His grip on her paw tightened, as if he didn't want to let her go, and his glacial eyes were so intense Fury almost had to look away, for fear she wouldn't be able to leave after all.

He bent his head lower to be closer to her. "Be careful, Fury..." He whispered, trapping her paw between both of his and giving it a quick squeeze. He made sure to keep his voice low, so neither the Princess nor the other knight would hear his frantic words. "Return safely...alright?"

Fury found enough strength to smile at him, despite the circumstances and her thudding heart. Returning the paw-squeeze, she whispered back, grey eyes losing some of their worry, "I _always _come back. This time won't be any different."

He released her paw after she gave him another impish grin, and she scampered off after her partner, now more determined than ever to reclaim the Stone of Slumber and return to Dreamland as quickly as possible. Soon, both she and Joy had vanished out the massive oak doors on the far end of the room, the doors slamming shut with a very final thunk and leaving the throne room in an eery state of quiet.

The knight quickly returned to Princess Hamorette's side, before she even noticed his absence, and she sighed gravely, staring out one of the windows at the pouring rain with clouded jade eyes. She had such faith in the young Protectors of Slumber, as they had never before let her down, keeping the nightmares and dreams of hamsters everywhere in perfect balance, even if Fury did slip-up a bit every once in a while. But still, something nagged incessantly at the back of her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to think positively, a feeling of gloom and dread quickly overtook her. Her brow furrowed, and she let her paws fall limply in her lap, eyes now cast to the cold, grey floor, as if she were ashamed.

"...I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the dark, mournful sky. Midnight had fallen, and with it had come one of the most frightful thunderstorms anybody for miles could remember. Rain pelted any surface within reach, dousing everything in a damp shroud as cold as ice. A vicious gale whipped trees and their leaves mercilessly, and several bodies of water churned and overflowed their banks as the wind pushed the frothing waves against their normal flow. It was a perilous storm, the very worst kind of weather, and anyone, big or small, who was wise stayed indoors, away from the elements that were terrorizing the terrain.

To be absolutely cliche, it was a dark and stormy night.

But one small creature loved storms, and weather like this was his favorite kind, no matter the damage it caused the world. He loved them so much, he had, in his youth, thrown away his old, pitiful name and bestowed upon himself a new, powerful name, a name reminiscent of the power of the storm raging outside his sturdy, elegant castle.

He was Steel, the only hamster in all of the world who could face the fiercest, most destructive downpour and the most hazardous, whipping winds, and even emerge from a flood unscathed. Steel was as positively indestructible and unruffled as his adopted namesake described, with appropriately gleaming grey fur not unlike the storm clouds looming in the heavens, and swirling azure eyes that could match the most vicious intensity of the greatest of tempests.

Currently, he sat perched in a jewel-encrusted throne, set at the base of a long, luxurious, but slightly tattered velvet carpet the color of fresh roses. Across from him, but several meters away, was a tall, multi-pane window, which was being pounded by rain. The furious winds made the glass shake in their metal frames. The throne room, made of a pale blue-grey stone, much like the rest of the castle, was quite dark, with only light from two small candles struggling to fill the room. Atop Steel's head sat a fine, golden crown, and in his mighty paws was a scepter. The scepter was so magnificent it brought more light to the scene than the valiantly glowing candles could ever hope to.

It was long, taller than Steel himself, and made of fine, sturdy wood. Painted a dark azure with cerulean swirl marks all over its' surface, a circle of gold was perched firmly at the top. And embedded in that bright circle was a beautiful stone, the richest of blues, radiating a faint, pale hue. It glittered brighter than any earthly gem, and it's ethereal light, though beautiful, cast a malicious gleam into Steel's narrowed eyes.

The regal ham looked so much like a King, but was, in reality, the exact opposite. He leaned back in his shining throne with a contented sigh, closing his eyes to bask in the glory of his victories. The sounds of the storm blaring outside was just a gentle, calming lull in his ears. At last, he had everything he had ever wanted. A glorious home where no one could tell him what to do, riches beyond belief, and the ultimate power to control every ham-ham's nightly visions. What more could he ask for? There was only one more thing he desired...and with his new power, it would soon be his. And, with it, the path to ultimate destiny...

Just as he was getting lost in his pleasant thoughts, a furious pounding reached his ears. Rousing himself from his dreamy state, Steel listened hard for the sound to come again. Someone, someone with small, but powerful fists, was pounding on the massive wooden door in the entryway below.

"Master Steel! Master Steel!" He could hear a faint, piping squeal between the fierce pounding and the booming thunder, wafting up the steps and to his sharp ears.

Steel rolled his eyes and sighed. It figured....that little _idiot _got left out in the rain and expected him, Steel, to go _all_ the way down the stairs and to the entryway to let him in.

With much reluctance, Steel hauled himself to his feet and briskly left his new throne room, en route to the entryway, scepter always in paw. He was down the stairs in a flash, the knocking growing louder as the massive oak doors drew closer. When he finally reached the doors, he unlatched them and used both paws to heave the heavy doors open. As soon as there was enough room for him to squeeze inside, a small, tan-colored ball of fur rolled inside the castle, sopping wet and shivering, bringing a fierce bout of rain and wind with him.

Steel pushed the doors shut with great effort, trapping the relentless storm outside once again. Once everything was locked up, he stared, unimpressed, at the quivering ball of light brown fur leaving a puddle of rainwater in front of the stairs. Steel crossed his arms over his chest and began tapping his hind foot, clearly not happy.

"Nikolai...you were to be back _before _the storm hit."

The ball of fur unrolled itself, revealing a tiny hamster with shaggy tan and white fur, and an oversized, green velvet santa-cap perched jauntily over one ear. Voice quivering and large hazel eyes watery, the little hamster, Nikolai, squealed in a terrified voice,

"My apologies, but I was on my way back when I saw _them_, Master Steel!"

Steel's eyes narrowed dangerously, making the soggy puffball of a hamster shrink away from his master, before he shook his coat to rid himself of excess water. "Them?" Steel queried lightly, although he had a strong hunch who _them _was. And if he was right, things were about to become interesting..._very _interesting.

Waving his little arms like flags, Nikolai squeaked wheezily, "The Protectors of Slumber! They brought the Staff of Dreams and the Staff of Nightmares with them! Princess Hamorette must be on to us!" Nikolai began to tremble from both cold and fear.

Steel absorbed this with a smirk spreading itself slowly across his iron-colored face. A gleam of excitement flashed in his frigid eyes. Despite Nikolai's fear of this predicament, the two female Protectors coming here was exactly what Steel had wanted. "Fear not, Nikolai..." He murmured, heading up the stairs as swiftly as he had descended them, a shivering Nikolai following closely behind. "This is all going according to plan!"

And if his plan worked, he would be the strongest hamster on earth in a few short minutes.

Steel swept into the throne room once more, but instead of returning to the comforts of his throne, he stood in front of the window, which shook as the wind thrashed against it. He found the two little knobs on the center frame, and threw the windows open with a flourish. The storm rushed inside the castle, blowing out the two meager candles and sending poor little Nikolai flying clear across the room. Steel, however, merely soaked in the wonder of the harsh weather, and stepped out onto the stone balcony, which jutted out over the courtyard of the massive castle. With steely eyes, he stared over the edge, and, just as he had suspected, saw two familiar hamsters standing below in the dark grass, holding their own against the elements. He could also see the two faintly glowing staffs they held, and his smirk widened.

"Perfect..." He purred in a gravelly voice, then, louder, "You've arrived!"

They lowered their bodies into defensive stances, ready for an all-out war, staffs held tightly in their paws with no signs of relinquishing them. "Steel!" The bright one, Joy, hollered up at him accusingly, amber eyes fierce. "We've come to reclaim the Stone of Slumber!"

Steel feigned innocence, holding his scepter, embedded with said Stone of Slumber, up and queried in a nonchalant voice, "Stone of Slumber? You mean _this _little thing?" He saw rage light up on their faces as they glared through the rain and wind at him and his prize, and he began to chuckle.

Eyes aglow, he sneered down at them and taunted, "Well, if this is what you mean, I'm afraid I can't let you have it...I went through quite a lot to steal it, you see, and I'm not going to let it go without a fight!" The last word was a promising snarl.

The russet-furred one, Fury, pointed the Staff of Nightmares at him and bellowed, "Then _fight _it is! We'll get the Stone back no matter what it takes, you villain!"

Steel eyed the Staff of Nightmares she flourished at him with desire in his eyes, and ran his tongue across his lips.

"As you wish!"

He thrust his scepter out in front of him, face set in a malicious scowl. Instantly, it shot a ball of bright blue energy directly at the two Protectors of Slumber. It hit the ground between them, making them jump away in order to avoid the attack, and separating them from one another. Joy, determined, recovered and raised the Staff of Dreams over her head. A beam of bubblegum pink light hurtled toward Steel, but he ducked down in time, so it seared over his head. Nikolai, unfortunately, had been jumping up and down behind Steel to try and see the action, and wound up hurled across the room yet again as Joy's attack struck him instead, knocked out cold.

Fury tried a different tactic. As Joy continued to shoot beams of energy at Steel, attacks he always evaded and countered with his own, much stronger attacks from the Stone of Slumber, Fury scurried over to the side of the castle and began to climb the dark ivy that clung to the stone walls, and snaked itself up to the balcony Steel was on. She kept the Staff of Nightmares clenched tightly between her teeth, as she needed both paws to climb, and she ascended carefully, praying that the howling winds would not send her reeling to the ground.

Steel, however, was very observant. Despite the fact he was jumping and ducking all over the place to avoid Joy's frenzied attacks, he noticed the absence of Fury, and realized her plan instantly once he caught sight if the ivy that climbed up the side of the castle. Mouth twisted into a satisfied, yet sadistic grin, he continued to elude Joy's attacks and waited patiently for the opportunity to claim the last piece of the puzzle; the last thing he needed in order to make all his dreams, or, in this case, _nightmares_, come true.

But first, he had to get the pesky Joy out of the way...

Fury reached the second-story balcony swiftly, and clung to the side like a determined, furry spider. Panting, she felt the cool rain pelt her face, and she tried to calm herself down. This was her chance to finally prove herself; to show Princess Hamorette and everyone else in Dreamland that she was capable of controlling the Staff of Nightmares. This was her chance to prove herself as a real, reliable Protector of Slumber, equal to Joy, who was already regarded highly. This was the chance to prove those doubters wrong, show them that it didn't matter who or _what _she was, and she could not afford to mess up, especially on such a crucial mission.

Carefully, she hauled herself up onto the ledge of the balcony, where Steel's glacial azure eyes and cunning grin were waiting for her.

"Hello, Fury," He said in a fake polite tone, taking her by surprise, as she had thought she would be able to catch him off guard. "What a _pleasure_! I was hoping you'd drop by my new home soon...it's been _ages_! How is your precious Princess _Hamorette_?" He bared his teeth when he hissed the royal's name.

Fury realized instantly that the attacks from Joy had stopped, as Steel was standing still, no more beams of bright pink light anywhere. Taking a moment, she transferred the Staff of Nightmares to her paw and stared with wide eyes down to the courtyard. Joy lay sprawled out in a shallow crater, the result of Steel's energy attacks, her bandana frayed and fur smeared with dark mud. The Staff of Dreams was still clutched tightly in her paw, but her eyes were closed and her body was limp.

"Joy!" Fury shouted, bewildered.

"She put up quite the fight..." Fury whirled around to face Steel again, her eyes narrowed with hate and nostrils flaring angrily as his suave, but cruel voice teased her. "But, sadly, she didn't know when to give in. Now, I believe you have something for me?"

"It's mine!" Fury rebuked him, holding her staff tighter to her chest, glaring at him with burning eyes. "_I'm _the rightful wielder!"

He clicked his tongue in a dissatisfactory manner, though he couldn't help by smile a wry, conniving smile at her expense. "I know you are...how fitting that someone in _your _condition be called upon to control the Staff of _Nightmares_! It suits you perfectly!"

Steel's taunt wreaked havoc on her patience and made her blood boil in her veins. Voice infuriated and face contorted in a vengeful grimace, a shuddering Fury snarled darkly at him, "My _condition _has nothing to do with this, Steel!"

Steel frowned, though he was very pleased to see that his words were irking her. "_Really_? Well, to be frank, I think the Staff made a mistake choosing someone so..._unstable_, and, dare I say, _dangerous_, to control it's great power. How about letting someone more capable have it, hmmm? I swear, I'll take good care of it!"

He reached for the Staff of Nightmares, but Fury flitted out of reach, narrowly avoiding falling off the balcony. Heart pounding, she retorted hotly, a courageous fire burning in her grey eyes, "I'll never let you have it! The Staff of Nightmares is my responsibility, no matter what I am! I would never willingly give it to anyone, especially not _you_, Steel!"

Steel stroked his chin with mock thought. "Hm...not _willingly_, you say?" He eyed Fury with an evil glint in his azure eyes, sending chills up her spine. "Then I suppose I'll have to take it by force. You know how I _hate _violence, Fury...but, if I must..."

"You can't force me to do anything!" Fury raged at him, grasping the Staff of Nightmares as tightly as she could, trying to keep it safe at any cost. Her heart was thundering in her throat, and her nerves were making every muscle quiver. It was _all_ on her now, to defeat Steel and bring the Stone of Slumber back to Dreamland...and she had to emerge victorious, even if she was without Joy as support. She had promised _him _she would be back, and that was a promise she never wanted to break, no matter how difficult it would be to beat the odds against her.

Steel chortled. "Well, my dear, I'm afraid you don't have any say in the matter."

Fury didn't even have time to react. In the blink of an eye, Steel pointed the softly glowing Stone of Slumber directly at her eyes, and she didn't have enough time to avert her gaze. Slowly, her eyes began to droop shut, and her limbs began to loosen. She swayed for a brief moment, and then was sent teetering off the ledge and onto the stone cold floor of the balcony, right at Steel's feet. She was sound asleep, and the Staff of Nightmares clattered to the floor a few inches away from her.

Once he was certain Fury was out of commission, Steel bent down and picked up the object of his desire, the Staff of Nightmares, with his free paw. As he held that in one paw and the scepter with the Stone of Slumber in the other, he could feel a jolt of power shoot through his veins. Leaning his head back and letting the rain pelt his face, Steel reveled in the moment, breathing deeply and feeling the coursing energy throughout his body. It had been all too easy. Now, he had all things he needed in order to achieve his goals...the Stone of Slumber, the Staff of Nightmares...

...and Fury.

"At last!" He sighed contentedly against the storm. "My moment has come!"

Down below, Joy stirred. Blinking bleary eyes, the injured Protector of Slumber sat up, fighting against the gale to take in her surroundings. With a start, she looked around frantically for Fury, but her russet-furred partner was nowhere in sight. When she looked up at the balcony, where Steel stood proudly, she was horrified to see that he had both the Stone of Slumber and the Staff of Nightmares in his possession, and she still couldn't see Fury. An overwhelming feeling of dread and despair overtook her, but she refused to give in to hopelessness.

Wincing, Joy got to her feet and bellowed, "Steel! What have you done with Fury?"

Steel, displeased that he had been interrupted in his moment of glory, cast narrowed azure eyes onto the remaining Protector of Slumber, who was barely able to hold up one arm, the other useless at her side, her legs shaking and mouth twisted into a painful grimace. Sly smirk spreading across his face, Steel put his prizes together in one paw, and picked up a sleeping Fury by the scruff of the neck with the other. Joy's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Fury, captured and helpless, in Steel's ironlike paws

"I'm sorry..." Steel taunted his wounded opponent, sneering. "Fury seems to have..._dozed off. _But she left the Staff of Nightmares in my capable paws, so you needn't worry about that. Run along back to _Princess Hamorette_ now...she'll be dying to know that you've all lost!"

Steel threw Fury's limp body back into the castle, where it landed with a thud near a waking Nikolai. Steel then turned his attention back onto Joy and said, "But I'm afraid you'll have to make the trip back to Dreamland alone...I know perfectly well that the Staff of Nightmares needs it's proper, rightful owner to wield it...so I will be keeping Fury here with me, to fulfil my wishes."

Joy's eyes widened further, but her expression quickly morphed to one of helpless anger. "You can't!" Even as she yelled, she knew that it was futile, as she would never be able to stop him now that she was alone and he had so much power in his paws. Steel knew it as well, and couldn't contain his evil, resonant laughter as he looked down at her horrified face.

"Goodbye, Joy. Sweet dreams!" Steel shouted in a sarcastic voice, a look of pure evil on his face.

He raised the Stone of Slumber high over his head, and it began to glow a bright blue in color. Before Joy could react, a beam of crackling, sheer blue energy, much stronger than his previous attacks, hurtled toward her. It struck her with so much force she was thrown into the night air like a rag doll with the Staff of Dreams still clenched in her paw, and she soon disappeared from sight as the fierce winds and resonating attack from Steel sent her careening off into the black forest beyond the castle.

Deed done, Steel heaved a calming sigh, satisfied. However, he still had more work to do. He turned around and walked back into the castle, shaking his coat to dry off. The windows blew shut with a jarring clatter behind him, and his throne room, dark and eery, was swallowed into near-silence. Using the pale blue light from the Stone of Slumber as a guide, Steel made his way to the back of the room, where Nikolai had regained consciousness and was staring with curious, but worried hazel eyes at Fury, who sat slumped against Steel's brilliant throne, still out cold.

"Why did you capture this one, Master?" Nikolai asked, nose twitching as he nervously adjusted his green hat. "Princess Hamorette will send her whole fleet of knights out to save her!" He began to anxiously wring his paws.

Steel rolled his eyes. "I've told you before, Nikolai! I cannot use the Staff of Nightmares; only its rightful wielder can. I _need_ Fury to complete my plans. While I use the Stone of Slumber to control the sleep of hamsters everywhere, Fury will give them nightmares. Soon, even the bravest of Dreamland's knights will fear me! And then, I will have no trouble building my empire and capturing Dreamland, Hamelot, Hamopia, and the rest of the world's greatest hamster kingdoms!"

He chuckled then, glancing at Fury with a mysterious gleam in his eye. "Besides...nobody knows about nightmares more than a nightmare _herself_."

Nikolai shuddered slightly at his words. "B-but...Master?" He cringed as Steel's cold gaze fell on him. "How do you know Fury will...will..._listen_ to you?" He'd encountered Fury on a couple of other occasions, and she had never seemed to be lacking in the 'sheer will' category, nor was she bereft of anger or her namesake.

Steel barked a laugh, making an anxious Nikolai wince again. Steel knelt down on one knee before a slumbering Fury, unable to stop smiling a malicious, twisted smile. "Fret not, Nikolai..." He murmured, focused, as he lowered the Stone of Slumber so its faint hue cast itself gingerly across Fury's sleeping face.

"She won't have any _say _in the matter. Her will belongs to me now."

At his words, the Stone of Slumber began to glow brighter, and turned a vivid, violent crimson color, its aura illuminating the entire room. Nikolai cowered behind Steel, shivering, and pulling his hat over his eyes so he didn't have to watch. Steel focused solely on Fury as she began to stir. Her whiskers twitched, and soon, she had sat up, her grey eyes starting to flutter awake. Nikolai, unable to deny his curiosity, peeked around Steel's side and lifted his hat to see the captured Protector of Slumber. He was surprised at what he saw.

Fury's eyes, once gleaming with determination and anger, were now dull and lifeless, and her face held no trace of emotion. She looked blank, and aloofly vacant. It was as if...as if she were a _puppet_, mindless and unable to move without help. The sight of such a valiant warrior drained of life and vigor made his shaggy fur stand on end as chills ran up and down his spine.

Steel seemed pleased by the change, however, and he dropped the Staff of Nightmares at her feet. She stared at it absently as it landed with a wooden clatter, like she didn't even know what it was or the power it contained. Steel commanded her, voice strong and unwavering,

"You know what to do, Fury."

Abruptly, as Steel's order wafted to her russet ears, Fury's face became focused and alert, but her eyes remained blank and void. She got swiftly to her feet, picked up the Staff of Nightmares, and, as her paws closed around it, the moon perched at its top began to glow the same bright red as the Stone of Slumber, filling the room with even more blood-colored light. It glinted off Steel's fangs as he smiled victoriously, eyes narrowed with both concentration and malice. Nikolai began to shudder even more violently, as he could feel the power emanating from the Staff held by a zombified Fury and the Stone held by Steel, now unified into one intense, unstoppable force in the wrong paws.

In a robotic, monotonous voice, void of all feeling, Fury replied,

"...Yes..._Master_."

* * *

It took a wounded Joy a good hour and a half to return to a slumbering Dreamland. The instant her carrier dove alighted down on the land in the clouds, passing through the gate that had been left open for her, she staggered through the desolate streets alone, headed for the castle in the center of town, clutching a wounded arm and the Staff of Dreams and praying that her legs would not give out on her.

Princess Hamorette and her two knights were waiting in the castle for the Protectors of Slumber to return, having not budged an inch since their departure. When a battered Joy threw the doors open and fell forward in an exhausted, muddy heap in the entrance to the throne room, unable to proceed any farther, the three were so surprised they raced forward to her aid, the black night and drizzling rain sweeping over the entire party through the open doors.

"Joy!" Princess Hamorette, not even caring that her luxurious hair and dress were getting wet, examined the warrior worriedly, propping her head up with one gentle paw. "What happened?"

Joy coughed, and her eyes opened slightly. "He was...he was too much. He knocked me all the way into the forest...I was...no match..." She wheezed, breathing heavy as she tried to sit up. Hamorette convinced her to lay down and relax, and she lay limply on the cold marble floor, utterly exhausted.

The knight with the icy blue eyes stared out through the doors, which were still slightly ajar, waiting for the other Protector of Slumber to make her way into the room. A moment passed, and there was no sign of her in the dark night; just the whisper of the wind and the empty, damp streets. Instantly, the fur on the back of his neck stood up, and he asked Joy in a muffled voice, trying to keep his composure lest he let the Princess know just how concerned he was for the absent hamgirl,

"...Where's Fury?"

Joy's face was instantly overcome with a look of regret and sorrow. Staring knowingly into the knight's eyes, she remarked, "I...I wasn't able to do anything. He captured her..._and _the Staff of Nightmares. I'm sorry...she's gone."

The knight's eyes widened, and he was barely able to prevent himself from falling to his knees. The other knight, sensing this, placed a strong paw on his armored shoulder and gave him a sympathetic glance with piercing red eyes. The blue-eyed knight was not consoled, and was soon overcome with a wild anger as he punched the nearest stone wall, not even caring that the punch made tiny ribbons of pain shoot up his arm. He wanted nothing more than to charge out into the storm, fly to Steel's castle, and save Fury, but he knew that as long as Steel had the Stone of Slumber and the Staff of Nightmares, it was a futile effort without a sufficient plan and some backup. Sorrow swallowed him again, and he was barely able to keep his composure, standing in a numb shock by his red-eyed companion.

Princess Hamorette's angelic face had fallen. A look of concern and sorrow swept over her perfect features, and she instructed the red-eyed knight, "Please take Joy to the infirmary and see she gets the best medical attention possible." Not needing to be told twice, the red-eyed knight cast another quick glance at the other, grief-stricken knight, and he carefully lifted an exhausted Joy up into his arms and dashed quickly through a pair of doors on the east side of the room, pattering footsteps soon vanishing into silence.

Princess Hamorette's jade eyes glazed over with a mixture of emotions, from sadness to anger to regret. She stood up and walked out into the calming storm, now reduced to a gentle drizzle and a slight summer night breeze. Her ears began to droop, as she looked up at the moon and murmured,

"I should have known. Steel will stop at nothing to have what he wants...." She trailed off, wringing her paws. "This is all my fault."

The knight joined her outside, rain striking his armor with various plinking sounds, still distraught. Trying to keep a measured tone that would not reflect the turmoil inside, he said gruffly, unable to tear his eyes from the velvety night sky, "Don't say that, Princess. We will find a way to defeat him, save Fury, and get the Stone and Staff back." He sounded the most determined about the second task, but his voice was strangely hollow, as if he didn't fully believe the words he said.

Princess Hamorette smiled a humorless smile, face grim. "Steel will not give up quite so easily. He has been after the Stone for a long time, and now, he will harness its power, combined with the Staff of Nightmares, to strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest hamsters. Even you, the bravest knight in Dreamland. Then, with the Stone of Slumber, he will have the power to control the sleep of all hamsterkind. I fear that there is nothing _we_ can do to stop him..." She stared down at the perfectly carved stone steps, curls falling, wet and stringy, into her face.

And then, she seemed to have a total change of attitude, as her head snapped straight up and her face lit up like bright neon. The knight, surprised, peered at her expectantly. She looked like she had just had a major revelation.

"Do you have an idea, my lady?"

She seemed not to hear him, but began to mumble incoherently for a moment while the knight waited for her response."Unless..." The Princess finally murmured for him to hear, tapping one paw to her chin as he eyes began to dance with an anxious fire.

"Unless...we had some _help_."

The knight's ears pricked forward. "Help?" He queried, a bit surprised. "What do you mean by help?"

Princess Hamorette smiled as she turned to face him with shining jade eyes, a sharp contrast to her mood mere moments before. She shared her idea in a voice brimming with confidence. "I'm speaking of reinforcements, of course."

The knight's expression darkened. "My lady, you do, of course, _know _that none of the other hamster kingdoms will lend their aid to Dreamland."

Hamorette smiled sadly. "Of course they won't...not after what happened four years ago. However, I am speaking of help outside the kingdoms. You remember a few weeks ago...we heard from Watcher Nimbus that the Legend of Fate had been fulfilled by the Guardian of hamsterkind and a powerful group of hamsters, including a very skilled swordsham? Nimbus saw it with his own eyes, and he said that they were very brave. They _stopped _the evil Spyke from hamster-world domination! If anyone can help bring Steel to his knees, it's going to be them!"

The knight looked a little hopeful, but it soon faded into wistfulness as the rain began to die. "It is a very good idea, my lady..but...how will we find these hamsters? They could be anywhere...it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack, even if we assign all the Watchers and the knights to the job. By the time we even _find _them, Steel will be too powerful to stop."

Princess Hamorette was too determined to be put down by his negativity. "Fear not..." She declared proudly, staring with narrowed jade eyes at the silvery moon and holding her regal head high. "Nimbus followed them back to their home after they left Hamwall, and he gave me the coordinates. I marked them on a map, just in case we ever needed to drop by. Surely they will help us stop Steel, save Fury, and restore Dreamland, and the rest of the hamster world, to balance. I will do whatever it takes to keep my subjects safe. If we join forces with another strong group of hamsters before Steel gets too powerful, we have a good shot at victory."

The knight still seemed doubtful, but wanted very much to believe that the Princess was right.

"_I _always _come back. This time won't be any different_."

As Fury's promise rang in his ears, the knight's cerulean eyes narrowed into deep concentration and he instantly began to believe firmly that the Princess's plan would work. It _had _to work. He would not let it fail, and he would not give in until Fury was safe and sound, back in Dreamland, where she belonged. He would not rest until he had her back.

"Very well, my lady!" He stated, voice now brimming with confidence as well. "Shall I take a carrier dove to the home of these brave hamsters? We must begin right away if we are to stop Steel before he grows stronger!"

"No.." The Princes shook her head, glancing at him with clouded eyes. "I need you and the other knights here, in case Steel attacks. Once morning comes, I will send someone else to find them. Someone just as capable." The knight seemed disappointed that he would not be going on the search, but realized where his duties lay, and did not argue.

"Of course, my lady. But, if not a knight...who will you send?"

* * *

"What was your prognosis?"

Princess Hamorette, now wearing a clean dress and fur re-curled into golden perfection, gazed worriedly at a bandaged Joy as she lay, Staff of Dreams resting at her side, in her hospital bed. The two knights, not leaving the Princess's side for very long, hung in the back of the infirmary, letting the two females have private time to talk. Joy's left arm was in a sling and one ear had a bandage around it, but, other than that, she had only sustained minor scrapes and scratches. Her spirits, however, had taken quite a large hit, and her shoulders were stooped, expression bleak.

Joy offered the Princess a weak smile, still clearly down about having lost her partner and not being able to stop Steel, and replied, amber eyes lightless,"I only need to stay the rest of the night. My arm will be fine in a couple of days, it was just badly bruised. I'll be ready for anything you need me for tomorrow, Princess."

The Princess smiled wryly. This worked out well for her plan. "If you mean that, and you're absolutely certain that your injuries are not severe, then..." She bit her lip, still a bit concerned. "I have a very important mission that I would like to send you on. It may very well determine how the battle between us and Steel will end."

In an instant, Joy had picked up the Staff of Dreams in her good paw and the fire had returned to her vivid amber eyes. "Name it Princess! I will do anything if it means saving Dreamland and rescuing Fury!" Her voice was resilient, face set with unwavering resolve. The nurse hamster shot her a look, and, not wanting to get in trouble, Joy reluctantly settled back down.

Princess Hamorette was thrilled by her enthusiasm. "Very well. I knew once you heard, you would want to go..." She reached down under her chair and drew out two pieces of paper.

The first she held up was a map of Japan. As Joy leaned forward, for a better look, she could see the name of a town was circled in red, and the words 'Oak Tree Park' had been scribbled next to it. Joy's eyes were confused as she looked to the smiling princess.

"'Oak Tree Park', Princess? Why are you sending me there?"

"Because..." The princess replied, handing a befuddled Joy the map as she held up the next paper with one paw. "Oak Tree Park is where you will find _these _hamsters."

It was a picture, taken by Watcher Nimbus a few weeks before on his scouting trip to Hamwall, the same time a certain Legend had come into fruition. On it, a surprised Joy could see the Guardian from the Legend of Fate taking flight on a hill, an orange and cream-colored hamster with a powerful-looking sword, and a group of very confident hamsters standing on the grass by a huge, eroding tower. Instantly, Joy realized Princess Hamorette's intent, and a huge grin wound it's way onto her face.

She and the princess exchanged a look of understanding, both of them smiling broadly, their faith restored.

"Get some rest, Joy. You leave tomorrow morning."

* * *

**CFB:** And a new adventure has begun! Sorry for the lack of regular Hamtaro characters in this chapter...but it's important! I have to set things up before I bring them in, right?

**Next time:** Steel strikes, but not directly...exactly how much power does he have over the hamster world, now that he can control how they sleep? And how will it affect the ham-hams, who are trying to enjoy some vacation time after defeating Spyke? When Joy shows up at the Clubhouse, their world is about to be thrown for a loop! Are they even ready for a new adventure? And Laura's first day of school has arrived...what happens when Kana delivers some very shocking news?

There's_ at least_ one character in this prologue that you've met before, to some degree...if you read _Guardian Towers_. Can anyone guess? Haha.

Review please!


	2. Are We Dreaming?

**CFB:** Here's the first actual chapter of Rain of Nightmares! I hope you enjoy!

**Thanks:** Awsomewriter123: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the beginning, and I hope you enjoy the rest.

_**This Time:**_ Steel makes his presence known to sleeping hamsters in a frightful way, including the ham-hams. Are they ready for a new adventure only a few weeks after Hamwall? Joy certainly hopes so, once she arrives to recruit them for the cause! Plus, Laura's first day of Junior High! Is JH really as dramatic as she's heard and read about? Or...worse? (I know mine was.)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Hamtaro or any of it's characters. But I add Fury, Joy, Steel, Hamorette, the knights, and Nikolai to my list of OC's that I own, which already includes Siren and all other characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1:** _Are We Dreaming?_

"Do you have everything you need, Joy?"

Princess Hamorette, flanked by her knights, looked up at Joy with worried jade eyes, where the amber-eyed Protector of Slumber sat perched securely atop a beautiful carrier dove, one of the many that called Dreamland home. She was strapped in very carefully on the saddle-like seat tied gently onto the dove's back, and she was fastened tightly enough that she wouldn't fall out, and she would still be able to read the map with one paw, and hold the Staff of Dreams in the paw that still hung battered in a sling.

Dawn was breaking on the horizon, casting a fine golden mist over the sleepy settlement in the clouds, streets empty in the early hour, except for the four hamsters and the bird standing near the edge of Dreamland. The waking sun bounced off the coal colored armor of the knights, making them glow, and it made Princess Hamorette's soft golden girls shine ethereally, like a halo around her head. Joy eyed the rising sun with apprehension, eager to get on her way.

"I've got everything, Princess!" She replied with a confident smile. The journey to Oak Tree Park wasn't a very long one, Joy had figured from the map, but she would need time to scour the park in _search _of the brave hamsters Princess Hamorette was sure could help stop Steel. If she left early and found the hamsters' hideout before sundown, she would be able to return with them by the next day at the latest. She had to be swift, as the evil Steel was growing stronger as they spoke.

Princess Hamorette's worry was not appeased. "Are you certain you will be able to make this journey, Joy?" She asked hesitantly, faltering in her original plan. "I trust you, and I know there's no better ham for the job, but you _were _hurt quite badly last night..."

Joy shook her head, refusing to hear any second thoughts. "I'm partly at fault for this mess, Princess..." She replied, a sad gleam coming into her eyes as she stared at the snowy plumage of her dove. "If I had fought harder against Steel, Fury would still be here..." At this, the blue-eyed knight looked away, becoming strangely focused on the lightening sky and nothing else, his back rigid. "I will be the one to help set things right. I wouldn't want anyone else to go in my place. It wouldn't feel right if I didn't go."

The blue-eyed knight heard Joy's sincere declaration, and felt the exact same thing as she, though he knew his request to go on the mission would be denied, even if he protested mightily. It pained him to know that he could only stand idly by while Fury was imprisoned, and he had to keep his gaze from Joy and the Princess, instead staring at the gold-tinged clouds.

Sensing the depth of Joy's dedication, Hamorette nodded, feeling a surge of hope once more, green eyes sparkling. "Very well, Joy. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you are able to convince the brave warriors to help us in our time of need. I have the utmost faith in your abilities!"

Joy flashed a mischievous smile. "Oh...I'll do _whatever _it takes to get them on our side!" She adjusted her new magenta bandana, a present from Hamorette, draped carefully around her neck, replacing the carnation one that had been torn up and muddied at Steel's castle the night before.

This got a small giggle out of Princess Hamorette, but her pure white face returned to seriousness quickly. "Farewell, Joy," She said in a solemn voice, placing a gentle paw on the feathery side of the silvery dove, who cooed a fine warble in response. "I will see you soon. Return safely!"

Princess Hamorette and her two knights watched with hazy jade eyes as a valiant Joy and her shining dove rose into the air on strong, steady wings, generating a wind that blew the hem of her extravagant dress and brushed her curls around her face. The determined Protector of Slumber, golden ears alert and face set in a stony, focused expression, called, "I won't let you down, Princess Hamorette!" over her shoulder as she and her dove flew in a graceful spiral, down through the clouds and out of sight in an instant.

Princess Hamorette stood on the edge of her world for a long moment after Joy had vanished, her knights on either side of her, all three staring down into the soft clouds, pink, gold, and orange with the colors of fading night, very meager expressions on their faces. The Princess sighed softly, her expression one of worry again. The red-eyed knight glanced at her, and asked, in a smooth, professional voice, "Is everything alright, my lady?"

She bit her lip, and reached for the armor-clad arm of the blue-eyed knight, who was staring so absently into the clouds below with lifeless cerulean eyes, he didn't appear to notice her action, or that she had reached for _him _specifically, and not the knight who had asked the question. She scooted closer to him, as if seeking a comforting support from him, while the other knight stood away from the pair, watching the Princess he was sworn to guard and his depressed best friend with his worried scarlet gaze.

"Oh, my knights..." The Princess sighed softly, squeezing the blue-eyed knight's arm gently, resting her head against his shoulder, despite the fact that it was armored as well. It was also clear that she was talking to one knight more than the other, though the left out knight didn't seem to mind _that _so much, only that his despondent, blue-eyed friend was oblivious to it.

"I fear that dark times are upon us!" Her musical voice held a faint tremor.

The red-eyed knight stared off into the distance, and replied, trying to be of help, "Yeah, it looks dark _now_...but I'm sure with some reinforcements, we can restore balance to the world and make sleep safe for hamsters once again. Steel will not prevail, my lady."

She only clutched at the other knight's arm with more urgency, her jade eyes tearing up.

"I certainly hope not."

* * *

Hamtaro hadn't thought his life would end this way.

He stared, trembling body crushed into a pitch-black corner, into a fierce pair of hostile crimson eyes. He was trapped against a cold wall in a room with no light, except for a brilliant full moon suspended high above him. There was no escape in sight, other than the gleaming, saliva-covered fangs of the unknown beast breathing heavily and dangerously from the shadows. The eyes were purely animal, with no emotion or soul in them, nothing but hunger in their foggy red depths. The beast propelled itself forward on silent, deadly claws, closing the distance between itself and its victim.

Hamtaro began to shake more violently, but tried not to let his fear show in his glaring brown eyes as he gazed defiantly at the creature. He couldn't see what the beast advancing toward him looked like, other than the eyes and fangs...but he knew it had hamster in mind as its next meal, and he also knew that he was no match for it while he was backed into a corner, unarmed, with no way out. He tried to appear unafraid, as he stood facing the gaping jaws of the unknown creature, showing off its ravenously rolling scarlet tongue.

Here, he was going to die with so many things unsaid, undone, and unaccomplished. Without seeing his friends, or Laura, ever again. If this really was the end...he would go out bravely, without fear. It had been a good life...short, but full of happy memories.

A guttural growling emitted from the beasts deep chest, filling the dark area and sending tremors up Hamtaro's spine. The crimson eyes narrowed dangerously and it licked its chops, salivating profusely, as if it could already taste its next victim. It was getting closer and closer, and soon, it had its cold, wet nose pressed up against Hamtaro's chest, sniffing in his delectable scent, no doubt. He could feel its hot breath, and he was staring directly into its primal, bloody eyes, facing sure death with defiance, even if he still couldn't completely see the creature that was about to end his life.

Before it took a bite out of him, a deep, harsh chuckling could be heard above the beast's growls, rising in volume until the cruel laughter echoed all around the empty space. And then, Hamtaro could see the source; a large hamster with sleek grey fur, piercing blue eyes, and some sort of glowing blue scepter in his paw, perched proudly on the back of the unknown creature about to devour Hamtaro, his fur looking like it was tinted with silver as the full moon above struck him. The hamster's laughs struck even more fear into Hamtaro's thundering heart than the creature now snarling not an inch from his wincing face was.

Hamtaro knew was that he had reason to fear this hamster, whoever he was. A _good _reason.

And then, it was over in an instant. The beast reared back with a vicious, canine-esque roar. The evil hamster's azure eyes gleamed malevolently and his crazed laughs resonated all around the void, swirling repeatedly in Hamtaro's ears, and then all Hamtaro could feel was a frenzy of heated breath, and all he could see was that lolling red tongue and glinting rows of perfectly chiseled, sharp-as-knives fangs, welcoming him to oblivion...

* * *

And then he woke up.

Sitting upright in his woodchips, Hamtaro was wide-eyed and panting, beads of sweat decorating his forehead. He looked frantically around his cage, but there was no red-eyed beast lurking in the shadows, no manically laughing grey hamster, no faintly glowing scepter, no full moon. Laura's room was sunlit with the fresh glow of morning, and the happy-go-lucky girl herself was flitting around, getting ready for her first day of Junior High School. His cage was vacant, save his woodchips, his seeds, his whiz wheel, and his little house. Everything was normal, with not a glimpse of danger.

It had all been a horrible nightmare, the orange and white hamster realized with a deep sigh of relief. Still, even though he knew it was just his imagination going wild in the night, he was very uneasy, and as he got shakily to his feet, he realized that the bad dream had really taken a toll on him, body and mind. He could barely keep his footing, and he was so tired, it was like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all. His eyelids drooped precariously, and he had to sit back down after he swayed on his feet for a moment. And, for some reason, he was still trembling slightly with fear, even though he was awake, and the nightmare was over.

"That was the worst nightmare I've ever had!" Hamtaro muttered to himself, half-lidded eyes confused and worried. His brow was furrowed deeply, the images from the nightmare still clear as a bell in his mind, as if they were emblazoned in his subconscious. "So scary..." He shuddered. It had felt so real. And who had that hamster been? Hamtaro had been so afraid of him; more afraid than he had ever been, asleep or awake. And he was a hamster who had faced _Spyke_, the most dangerous hamster in a century, and he had lived to tell the tale! Who else did he have to be afraid of?

"I wonder if any of the other ham-hams had bad dreams last night...I _really _hope not!"

* * *

"_Ohhhhh_...what should I _wear_?"

Laura searched frantically through her closet, voice desperate and chocolate-colored eyes worried. She had gone through at least a dozen outfits that morning, and still couldn't find a thing she deemed worthy of junior high. All of her old clothes, her _elementary school_ clothes, were too kiddy for such a mature school. She had to find something that would suit her, now that she was a teenager, ready to embark on a new adventure into the world of lockers, harder classes, and drama.

Frustrated as she combed through hanger after hanger, Laura heaved a great sigh. Scanning her options again, she selected a plain red shirt and a denim skirt, the only outfit she hadn't tried on yet. She wasn't sure if it was sophisticated enough for her new school, but she had to meet Kana outside in five minutes, and she didn't have time to go through her entire wardrobe one more time...

Laura dressed quickly, ran into the bathroom to comb her hair and brush her teeth, and then raced back to her room to grab her bookbag and stare at herself in the mirror one more time before departing, to make sure she looked acceptable. Sighing, she observed her reflection with worried brown eyes. In her opinion, she looked exactly like she had the first day of school last year...no older, no more mature. Just same, plain old Laura. She grimaced. Was she ever going to grow up?

Seeking a second opinion, Laura turned to her drowsy hamster and asked, motioning to her outfit and doing a twirl, "Well, Hamtaro...what do you think? Do I look ready for my first day of Junior High?"

Hamtaro looked at her through bleary eyes, and replied, in a voice his young owner could only imagine, "You bet Laur..._ahhhhhh_!" He was interrupted by a large yawn, and found himself unable to finish his comment.

"Wow, that nightmare really had a bad effect on me! I can't even talk without yawning!" He remarked to himself with another weary yawn.

Laura peered into his cage, concerned once she saw how tired he looked. "Geez, Hamtaro..." She commented, brow furrowed. "You don't look so good. Maybe you should try to get some more sleep while I'm at school, okay little guy? Then I can tell you all about it when I get home! I'm so nervous, but I'm really excited too! I'll have a lot to tell you when I get home, I'm sure!"

"Okay, Laura, but I _can't _sleep! I have to go see the ham-hams today!" No amount of sleep-deprivation could keep Hamtaro from his best hammos, that was for sure. "Have a good day! I can't wait to hear about it when you get home!" If he was even awake then...

Throwing a smile at him over her shoulder, Laura raced out the door and thundered down the stairs, brown hair bouncing around her shoulders as she went. She flew through the kitchen, giving her mother a quick hug and grabbing her lunch before the send-off into young adulthood could get too embarrassing and sappy. Marian Haruna did manage to get a 'Good luck honey!' to her daughter before the front door slammed shut, and her daughter was gone.

Kana was waiting for Laura on the front walk, wearing a nice, pale yellow dress and new glasses. Laura bade goodbye to the family dog, Brandy, and joined her best friend with a bright, but nervous smile. "Hey, Laura! Are you excited for our first day?" Was the first question Kana asked as the duo began to walk leisurely down the sidewalk, headed for their new school.

Laura bobbed her head eccentrically, though she couldn't deny the frenzy of butterflies in her stomach. "Yeah, but I'm also really anxious. It's going to be so different...and we're like fresh meat to the upperclassmen!" Laura had watched several television shows about what 'went on' in junior high, and had seen enough wedgies, swirlies, and locker-trashings to know that there was potential danger hiding around every corner, especially if you were new to the environment.

Kana waved off the worries with a smile. "I'm sure it's going to be fine, Laura. Besides, we'll have each other and all of our other friends to help get us through the first few days. After that, everything's cake!" Suddenly, she wrinkled her nose, and a sad gleam came into her eyes, as if recalling something both unpleasant and depressing. "Of course...everything is going to be kind of awkward between everyone now..."

Laura's brow furrowed with confusion. "Awkward? Why?"

Kana glanced at her best friend in surprise. "You mean...you don't _know_? You didn't hear about it?" Seeing Laura's blank expression, Kana's eyes widened, and she stammered, in shock, "I mean, I would have told you earlier, but I assumed you _knew_...everyone knew the day after it happened! Kylie told me, so I _thought_ she'd tell you..."

Instantly, Laura was both worried and nervous. "What are you talking about?"

Kana looked at Laura with cautious eyes, as if warning her friend of what she was about to say. Laura, sensing that this was a delicate topic, calmed herself slightly, preparing herself for the worst. But still, she was very concerned...what could Kana possibly have to tell her that seemed so..severe? If it was really that important, she would have heard about it before now, wouldn't she?

"There's no easy way to say this..." Kana took a deep breath and stared forward, as if fearing Laura's reaction, as she replied slowly, "But....Travis and Mika...broke up."

Laura's eyes widened to the size of saucers and she stopped dead in her tracks. For a moment, the world seemed to stop, and everything around Laura went completely blank. Could she have possibly just _heard _that? Her crush of so long, Travis, whom she had only recently gotten over, had broken up with Mika, the new girl in town who had captured his heart after being in the country only a few short days? Every time Laura had seen them together, they had appeared perfectly happy. And, after a lot of thinking and sorting her emotions, Laura had at last been okay with that. Could all of that really have come...undone? Could everything else, all she worked hard to maintain...unravel?

"Laura...are you okay?" Kana carefully examined her friend, gauging her reaction.

Laura snapped back to reality and managed to compose her shocked expression to one of near-normalcy. However, she was still quite stunned, and couldn't find her tongue. After a long, tense pause, she managed to choke out, "Wh-what? _Why_? What _happened_?" Of all the young, fledgling couples she knew, Travis and Mika had seemed one of the happiest, and one of the least likely to end so quickly.

Kana motioned for Laura to keep walking, her eyes still brimming with worry for her friend. Laura's feet moved on their own, pushing her forward of their own accord, as her mind was swirling with so many questions she wasn't sure what the rest of her body was doing.

"It was really sudden," Kana replied, picking her words carefully, as she was aware of what a sensitive topic Travis and Mika's relationship had once been for Laura. "And no one knows for _sure _what happened. I heard from Kylie, and she heard it from Gina, who heard it from Josh, who heard it at soccer. Apparently, Travis agreed to meet Mika at the movies, but then he had to suddenly cancel, and she was already there and didn't have a way to get home. So then, a certain someone named after a _delicious chocolate treat _happened to show up at the movies, offered to go with Mika so she wouldn't be alone...things apparently got out of hand, Travis showed up and found them together, blew things out of proportion, and he ended things right then and there."

Laura was still in shock. She knew who the certain person named after the delicious chocolate treat was, and everything seemed to make sense after that. Reese and Travis had liked Mika at the same time...but she had chosen Travis after he had asked her out first. Then, for some reason, the stoic boy Reese hadn't been willing to accept that he had lost, and had remained vying for the girl's attention, despite her taken status. Had Reese actually _sabotaged _the happy couple's relationship? The way Kana told the story, it certainly sounded that way...but Laura hadn't thought the boy would go _that _far.

"That's so...surprising..." Laura muttered, still deep in thought. Things really _were _going to be awkward now.

She couldn't help but wonder if Roberto had heard about the breakup. She had found herself actually liking the orange-haired nuisance, ever since he had shown her his nicer side several weeks before, and they had gotten to know each other better over the summer, while still maintaining constant insult-competitions...but he had known of her long-standing crush on Travis. And since he played soccer with both Travis and Reese, he _had _to have heard about it...but what did he think of such a predicament?

Coming back to reality, and trying to keep the topic of the breakup out of her mind, Laura heaved a deep sigh and commented, "_Wow_. Junior High really does make things more complicated doesn't it?" She meant it to be funny, but found her own giggle oddly hollow.

Kana smiled grimly. "That's not all. It gets worse."

"_Worse_?!" Laura practically shrieked. "How could it _possibly _get even _more _awkward?"

Kana nodded solemnly. She seemed a bit reluctant to reveal why, and eventually said, looking a bit uncomfortable, "Well...I really don't want to say. You'll see soon enough. We're only a couple of minutes from the school." And the way Kana said that, Laura could tell that her bespectacled best friend really didn't want to talk about it anymore, and Laura wouldn't make her.

As they neared their new school, the two girls fell into a silence. Laura's mind raced a mile a minute as she wondered, with a touch of nervousness, just how torn up and divided her friends were by the whole Travis and Mika situation...and then tried to imagine it even worse than how she first pictured it. Some of the scenarios she came up with made her shudder, and she prayed things weren't as bad as Kana had claimed...

They hadn't even reached the school yet, and things were already getting more and more dramatic and complicated. The school, doors crammed with students clamoring for their schedules and searching desperately for familiar faces, was soon in sight, and, as Laura faced a new chapter in her life, in the shape of a long, two-story brick building, she couldn't help but feel a wave of dread had overtaken what had once been a thrilled excitement.

* * *

"Hamh - _aaaaaaah_!" As Hamtaro entered the Clubhouse solo that morning, he couldn't stifle yet another yawn, the twentieth in an hour. "_Cats_! I just can't stop yawning this morning!" He said as he stretched his arms far up over his head, though it did not relieve him of any wear.

It had been quite a chore, dragging himself out of his cage after Laura had left, and he had even dozed off upon landing on Brandy's head, after his usual slide down the drainpipe. He had caught a glimpse of himself in a puddle in Oak Tree Park, and was surprised to see deep, purplish rings under his eyes, startling evidence of his fatigue. He had nearly fallen asleep walking, as he trudged through the grass and down the tunnel, pitching forward a few times as exhaustion got the better of him. It really was like he had gotten no sleep whatsoever, even though he had gone to bed at his usual hour...had the nightmare really affected him that badly? Even being his usual, cheerful self drained him of energy!

"Join the club!" He heard Boss's voice mutter grumpily.

After stretching, Hamtaro opened his eyes and looked around the Clubhouse. He was stunned to see all of his friends already there; Bijou, Boss, Oxnard, Maxwell, Sandy, Stan, Howdy, Dexter, Pashmina, Penelope, Cappy, Siren, and Panda, sitting in their chairs around the sunflower-yellow table, but none of them looked the least bit happy to be there. In fact, they all had the same dark rings under their eyes, identical to Hamtaro's, and deep frowns dressed every face. Even Snoozer, still sleeping in the corner, had a disgruntled look on his normally sound face.

"He can't join the club!" An exhausted looking Howdy tried to lighten the mood, chuckling lightly, motioning limply with his paws for lackluster emphasis. "He's already _in _it! Yeh can't join somethin' twice, can yeh? Har har!"

Tired or not, the ham-hams turned to glare at the comedian. Grumpier than usual about the lack of appreciation for his humor, Howdy grunted darkly, crossing his arms and glowering into the table, "Can't blame a ham fer tryin' ter make everone happy, can yeh..."

"If anything, Howdy, that miserable joke only made this whole ordeal worse!" Dexter snapped, propping his chin up with both paws, though his eyelids still drooped and his normally fine mood seemed to have taken quite a hit. To top it off, his scarlet bowtie was crooked, and he didn't seem to care.

"Can it, four-" Howdy didn't even finish his sentence, as he had to yawn, and Dexter was too weary to even bother continuing the argument.

"Sorry I didn't wait for you, Hamtaro..." Oxnard, the orange and white hamster's best friend, glanced at him with apologetic half-lidded eyes. "I was just so sleepy I think I sleepwalked straight here from my house...luckily, I didn't drop my seed."

"S'okay, Oxy," Hamtaro smiled faintly. "I caught a few extra winks after Laura left for school, but I'm still the sleepiest I've ever been!"

No one seemed up for talking much after that. Some of the ham-hams looked simply tired, others both drained and miserable, and even more a little bit uneasy, not very good mixes, and makings for a bad mood for each of them. "Wow..." Hamtaro, eyes widening for a moment, commented, once he saw that _everyone _really looked just as tired as he, and some even moreso. Stan was slumped limply onto the table, his cup of tea forgotten, his twin Sandy, beside him, jerking forward each time she nearly dozed off in her seat. Panda, though his eyes were naturally rimmed with dark grey, had heavy bags under his eyes and his normally chipper expression was missing. Cappy had put his swimming cap on backwards, so the tag was falling into one half-closed eye, and Boss had forgotten to put his hard hat on, something he never forgot otherwise.

Hamtaro's brow furrowed deeply, seeing his friends so out of sorts. "Didn't _anybody _get a good night's sleep last night?" He had trouble believing that all of his friends had suffered the same problems sleeping as he had. This was either really strange...or maybe something even worse.

Everyone shook their heads, Oxnard's head falling forward with a thunk onto the table as they did, too tired to even bother lifting it again. Bijou, pigtails looking a bit uneven, as if she had been too tired to fix them correctly, replied, nearly tipping nosefirst into her teacup, "We all seem to have had a beet of insomnia, no? I can't remember a time where I slept zo horribly! I did not even get one _hour _of zleep!"

Pashmina sighed and agreed, "Me neither. It was probably the worst night of my life!"

Hamtaro took his usual seat at the table, between Bijou and Oxnard. He took a sip of the tea that Pashmina had brought out to him, and was instantly upset that it did not help wake him up in the least. He took another half-lidded look around the room, and saw Penelope, the youngest ham, slouching against Pashmina's shoulder, barely able to keep her eyes open, and Cappy and Siren, the next youngest, leaning on each of Panda's shoulders, drifting in and out of a daze. He could not recall a time when the ham-hams seemed so drained of eccentricity. The entire room seemed to lack it's usual happy atmosphere, and, if anything, this made the ham-hams' moods even worse than they already were.

Hamtaro sighed, breaking the silence that had settled. He had to try and salvage some fun, even if it only made him feel even drowsier to try and be energetic. "Why did you guys have trouble sleeping last night?" He asked, unable to think of any other topics of conversation in his dreamlike, not-quite-awake stupor.

"Actually, we were all just about to answer that when you showed up," Maxwell replied, sounding not-so-dignified when he was so fatigued. "As for why I was unable to sleep, I had a very frightening nightmare, and it felt far more real than any nightmare I have ever experienced before! It was quite _surreal_, actually. It's vibrancy may be the reason for the sleep loss....it was quite vivid."

"Like, me too!" Sandy exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, surprised that her boyham had the same reason for sleep deprivation as she. "It was the scariest nightmare like, I could ever imagine! I felt like I was actually like, there!"

Oxnard looked puzzled. "Me, too!"

"And me!"

"_Moi _as well!"

"Wow!" Hamtaro, stunned, stared around at each of his friends, all of them looking a bit more awake and perturbed now, after such a surprising revelation. There were further murmurs of agreement, and even more shock. "Me _too_! Did we _all _have bad dreams last night? What a real coin..coinca..."

"Coincidence, Hamtaro."

"Oh, thank-Q Maxwell."

Stan slumped forward again at the table, resting his chin on the smooth wood. "Man, hams...I don't even think I can play any games or anything today. I'm just so _wiped_. Like, after Hamwall and all I was tired, but I've never been _this _exhausted! This is like...mondo sleep deprivation, hams and hamettes. No lie," He shook his head, ears drooping.

"You're telling me..." Siren sat blearily upright, azure eyes only half-open and mouth set into a distinct frown. "After the Hamwall adventure, I could barely get up and walk for a week, and that was only a few weeks ago. This was way worse...and I don't even know why. My dream was really scary and stuff, but I went to bed early and woke up at my normal time. I slept like normal, but I'm _exhausted_..."

After their defeat of the evil hamster Spyke a few weeks before, the ham-hams had endured a bit of difficulty falling back into their normal routines, especially Siren and Hamtaro, who had been a huge physical aspect of the battle. After such an epic journey and battle, crammed into such short time, normalcy was hard for the ham-hams to revert back to, but they had at last done it, and had enjoyed the past few weeks in a state of blissful happiness, reveling in their friendship and the nice, warm summer days that were now time for picnics, games, and acorn-gathering rather than fulfilling legends and solving mysterious riddles from years past. Spyke and Hamwall, though only a very recent memory, seemed so long ago now that they had fallen back to their usual escapades, until now, when strange, horrible nightmares haunted their peaceful sleep.

Dexter's face clouded. "It_ is_ unusual. One would think after saving the hamster world, we would have been much more tired after that than just a regular night, even if we did all have nightmares. Fighting to defeat an evil hamster was real, the nightmare simply _felt _real."

Boss scratched his chin, perplexed. "Strange, isn't it? How we all have nightmares in the same night...that's certainly never happened before! It takes a lot to scare me, but this nightmare was something special, I guess. Mine was about this big, stinky beast trying to eat me, some grey, laughing hamster with a glowing stick-thing, and there was a full moon, I think, but otherwise it was totally dark..."

"That's what mine was about!" Oxnard declared, trembling slightly and clutching at his favorite seed, as he recalled how vivid the nightmare had been for him.

Several murmurs of agreement broke out at the yellow table, with the ham-hams exchanging shocked glances and looks of worry and concern, as they realized that each of them had endured the exact same horrifying nightmare. After a few brief moments of shocked, speculating chatter, Maxwell brought his paw down heavily on the table, bringing silence to the room, and all eyes traveled to his solemn, weary face. When Maxwell spoke, the ham-hams usually listened.

Clearing his throat, he said, eyes grave, "This is an unusual phenomenon, ham-hams! I can't recall anything like this ever having happened before. Are we sure we _all _had the same nightmare? If so...this can't be considered a mere coincedence. There has to be something _more_."

"Well..." Cappy started, remembering with a shiver. "I remember feeling like I was backed into a corner! There was no escape, and it was pitch black, even darker than night. I tried to pull my cap over my eyes, but I couldn't move an inch, I was so terrified..."

"Ookwee!" Penelope squealed in agreement. "Ookwee!"

"But there _was _the full moon!" Dexter pointed out. "Though it didn't give off very much light. It was close, even though it didn't make anything clearer."

"Yeah, and there was a really big creature of some kind, but I could only see that it had blood red eyes and fangs; the rest of it was totally dark, but I could tell it was hungry!" Pashmina continued the story, tapping her chin as she tried to recall all of the details, no matter how scared she had been while enduring it.

"It was going to eat me! It was growling!" Oxnard began to tremble, worriedly glancing over his shoulder, as if expecting the beast to suddenly appear and devour him.

"And zen I heard zis 'orrible laughter!" Bijou shuddered. "And saw zere was a hamster on the back of ze creature! He looked beeg, and strong, and had grey fur and ze coldest blue eyez I haff ever seen! And hees laughter...zo...evil!" She shuddered even more, eyes closed tightly.

"He had a scepter in his paws!" Panda recalled. "With a glowing stone in it."

Hamtaro finished out the story with worry flashing in his chocolate brown eyes, the equally worried faces of his friends watching him as the dust settled, leaving them in a state of concern and unease. "And then, the beast was about to eat me while the evil hamster laughed, but...I woke up."

A strained, very tense silence engulfed them. Some anxious glances were exchanged, while a few of the fainter-hearted ham-hams began to quiver slightly in fear. The thoughts, the possibilities swirling around in their heads created a dark, chilling mood that swept over every ham in the room; even making Snoozer shudder and scoot deeper into his sock. Nothing this out of the ordinary had happened since...since Hamwall. And, although that incident had ended well, the ham-hams were still recovering, and weren't sure they wanted more unusual occurrences so soon after an epic adventure. And the very fact that it occurred to them while they had been sleeping didn't make things any brighter.

"Maybe this is more _legend _business?" Dexter asked, glancing inquisitively in Siren's direction.

She waved her paws innocently. "As far as I know, there aren't any legends about a bunch of hamsters having the same exact nightmare. If there is, I'm not a part of it!" That was one, and quite possibly the only, theory they could concoct, and it was shot down.

"A..._coincedence_?" Panda asked feebly, as all eyes shifted to Maxwell, who was staring down at the table, face scrunched in thought.

"If it is...it's a very strange one," Was all the book smart ham could think of. "I've never heard of such a phenomenon taking place, so I'm inclined to disagree. When so many hamsters have the exact same nightmare in one night..." He trailed off, and then shook his head rigorously, as if trying to make his thoughts cease. "I can't think of anything that would cause such an anomaly! So maybe...maybe it really _is_ just a coindedence."

Suddenly, Boss burst out in raucous laughter, sending Oxnard and Howdy toppling off their stools in surprise. Standing up and pounding a paw against his chest, the gruff field-ham declared, ignoring his fatigue, "That _must _be it! I'm sure we'll all get a better night's sleep tonight. But we can't let this silly nightmare business get us down! I say we play a round of acorn soccer to wake us up! Whaddya say, ham-hams?"

"Alright, Boss!" Hamtaro agreed cheerfully, leaping to his feet and throwing a small fist in the air. He was glad for any distraction from the nightmare talk. "Count me in!"

Boss's effort was rewarded, as the ham-hams immediately set about dividing themselves up into even teams for the game. As they trooped outside, blearily rubbing their eyes to try and rid them of sleep before playing, they tried to chat about different topics, such as the weather or their owners, but the events of the night before that had haunted them all stayed in the forefront of their minds. Was it really, as Maxwell theorized, just a coincidence after all? Or was there something much more sinister and troubling at work?

* * *

Laura scanned the schedule in her hand with eager brown eyes as she and Kana stopped to wait by the water fountain on the first floor. "My homeroom is room 211. Yours?" She asked her best friend, who was also reading her schedule as other students, all chattering excitedly, bustled by them in search of friends and designated classrooms.

"Room 104..." Kana grimaced. "That stinks. But what about first period? I have Science class in room 218."

Laura heaved a great sigh of relief. "So do I!" She had at least one class with Kana. That was a good sign. The last thing she wanted was to know nobody in any of her classes, and have to face people she didn't know anything about. That would be a Junior High nightmare come true, and she had been fearing that for weeks now.

After more comparing, the girls found that they had four classes and lunch together. "That's so awesome!" Laura squealed happily, momentarily forgetting the disturbing news Kana had given her earlier. "We'll see each other in Science, Math, Art, Gym, and at Lunch! Hopefully we'll know some more people though..." She peered up and down the crammed hallway for familiar faces. "I don't see any of our friends yet..."

"Kana! Laura!"

As if on cue, Laura could suddenly see a smiling Kylie and June, bobbing their heads over the thrum of the crowd a little ways down the hall. With much pushing and shoving and disgruntled grumblings, they eventually made their way to the water fountain, panting with the effort. "Hi guys! We almost lost you in the crowd there!" Laura giggled, Kana chuckling along with her.

June and Kylie soon recovered and returned the greeting. "It's a mad house in here!" Kylie exclaimed, staring around them at the mass of students, her eyes wide. "Elementary school was _nothing _like this!"

"You guys picked up your schedules right?" June asked, holding hers up with a smile. "Let's compare! Kylie and I only have two classes together, so I hope I have a lot with you guys!"

Laura wound up having three classes with June, homeroom, History, and Gym, and two with Kylie, Gym and Art, while Kana had homeroom, Gym, Art, and History with Kylie and only Gym with June. "Yay!" Kylie said once the comparisons ended. "I was really worried I wouldn't have homeroom with anyone I know!" Her face darkened, and she glanced at June before continuing, in a worried, more quiet tone, "Have...have either of you seen _Gina _around?"

Laura and Kana shook their heads, and Laura could feel Kana tense beside her, as if she were expecting something bad to happen. Instantly, she was reminded of their conversation on the walk to school that morning, and she realized that might very well be the case. "You're the only two friends we've seen so far," Laura replied with a small smile, and watched curiously as June scanned the crowds with narrowed, somewhat angry hazel eyes, as if looking for an enemy of some kind. "Are you...looking for her?"

"Hmph!" June scoffed, crossing her arsm over her chest with an indignant sniff. "As _if_! More like _avoiding _her!"

Kana sighed quietly, so low that June didn't hear, and Kylie appeared to react the same way, though more out of relief than annoyance. "Are you still mad at Gina, June?" Kana asked innocently, even though the answer was plain to see.

June nodded angrily, gritting her teeth, eyes flashing. "Of _course_! I thought Gina was one of my best friends, but she's sided with that no-good _new _girl! She betrayed me, and I don't _ever _want to speak to her again!" Her voice was brimming with rage, but also with seriousness, and Laura was taken aback. She had seen June angry before, but never quite like this.

"Well then..." Kana said, brow crinkling in concern as she looked away. "You might not want to look at who's headed this way..."

June and Kylie both followed Kana's gaze, and, once they saw what Kana meant, June groaned irritably and Kylie sighed and muttered something that sounded like an unhappy, "Here we go..."

Laura looked to her left to see three other friends approaching, all with brand new schedules in their hands and wearing their best back-to-school outfits. Gina's flaming red hair was impossible to miss, even in such a large, flowing crowd, and Laura could see that she was dragging a nervous looking Mika along behind her. Gina's boyfriend, the tall and sociable Joshua, was on her other side. Josh and Gina were smiling cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong, but Mika looked very reluctant to join the little group huddled by the water fountain.

"Kana! Laura!" Gina greeted warmly upon reaching them. "I haven't seen you guys since that soccer practice a couple weeks ago!"

She turned to look at an uncomfortable Kylie and an angry June, who was staring at a poster advertising the school lunches to avoid looking at the redhead. The warmth in Gina's voice and the chipper gleam in her green eyes faded, replaced with a chilling frostiness. "Kylie..." She greeted with a stuff nod of her head, and then, with a scowl, "..._June_."

"Hmph," Was June's stoic reply, while Kylie said unenthusiastically, waving a limp hand, "Hi, Gina...Josh. Mika. Good to see you all."

"Hi..." Mika feebly returned, with a shy wave of her hand, standing partially behind both Gina and Josh, as if she wanted to hide. Her blue eyes flitted first to Laura and Kana, who smiled in return, but when she looked over at Kylie and June her small smile faded totally and she cast her eyes on the linoleum, fidgeting.

Laura glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye, curious to see how Mika looked post-break up. It had been a while since she had even _seen _Mika, the newest addition to their circle of friends, but she looked more or less the same, no matter what had happened since. Her hair had been cut so it hung just below her chin, and her face had the traces of a light sunburn, but otherwise, nothing had changed. She still looked like the shy, quiet Mika Asakura she met a couple months before. She didn't look sad, remorseful, or anything Laura had expected.

"We wanted to come over and compare classes," Josh, who normally let Gina do the talking, spoke up, tugging on Gina's arm, as if warning her or advising her to stop something. "Anyone else have homeroom in room 104?"

The next few minutes were not pleasant.

Laura was glad she had a few classes with these friends as well, but as the schedules shifted from hand to hand, the tension in the air around the small group was so thick it was almost suffocating. Mika never looked up at June once, as if she was afraid of the other girl, and Gina and June made it very obvious that they weren't on civil terms with each other. Josh looked annoyed by all of the eye-rolling and exasperated sighs going around, as did Kylie, and Kana seemed to understand everything that was going on, but her eyes had a permanent cloudiness in them. Laura was more confused than ever, trying to figure out who was mad at who, and why.

"Well, this has been _lovely_..." Gina said after the awkwardness was over, half-serious, half-sarcastic. Her tone faded to business-like as she put her schedule in her bookbag and slung it back over her thin shoulders. "Laura, we'll see you in homeroom. Kana, I'll see you in History later. You two should meet us for lunch...we were planning on eating down by the soccer fields. Bye, you _two_!" With a wave, and pointedly ignoring June and Kylie, Gina turned sharply on her heel and stomped off toward a stairwell, Josh and Mika, waving goodbye over their shoulders, following her at a jog.

One they were out of sight, June growled, "I never thought she would do that...come over here and actually _talk _to us, as if I had anything nice to say to her! Or _her_..." Her voice was venomous, and her eyes were narrowed so they resembled two hazel, snake-like slits.

Laura couldn't take the confusion. "What was _that _all about?" She blurted.

June arched one eyebrow at her. "You didn't hear?" She queried, a bit bemused, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning casually against the brick wall as more students filtered by them. "Travis and _Mika _broke up." The second name came out in a sneer.

Hearing the jarring words spoken again sent chills up Laura's spine, and she inwardly groaned, wishing the news hadn't affected her so much. "I know about that..." She replied hastily, trying to ignore the rush of muddled emotions that swept through her at the thought. "But...why are _you _mad at Gina? And Mika?"

June let out a frustrated grunt, as if remembering the reason only made her even angrier. She nudged her best friend with her elbow and her frown deepened."You tell her, Kylie...just thinking about it makes me absolutely _furious_!"

Kylie sighed deeply, but complied. Laura listened alertly, hoping that things weren't as bad as they sounded. "You see...no one knows exactly how, why, or to what extent, but Reese _was _involved with the whole breakup. And...well...we all thought that Mika would be devastated after the breakup and all, because Travis was pretty upset, and I _think _he still is...but I haven't seen him in a few days, so I could be wrong about that...he was also pretty _mad_..." Kylie looked thoughtful for a moment

"The _point _of the story..." June snapped, eyes blazing as she shot a glare at Kylie. "Is that Mika started up with Reese the _day after_ Travis broke up with her! She moved on just _hours _after breaking Travis's heart!"

Laura's jaw fell open and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She had thought that the breakup would have been painful for both parties, but Mika was already rebounding with Reese? She was stunned. Even if she didn't know Mika very well, she had already decided that the girl was quite nice, and very friendly. But to hear that the new girl had not only broken Travis's heart, but gotten together with his rival, who had been vying for her affection from the sideline all along, was positively shocking. Instantly, she felt a surge of uneasiness pulse through her. She liked to think Mika had a reason for doing such a thing, but couldn't imagine that reason. No wonder she had looked worried about seeing June...June had been after Reese long before Mika had even been in the picture.

Laura bit her lip. Was Mika _really _as nice as she had seemed just a few weeks ago? After this startling discovery, Laura wasn't so sure anymore, and it made her stomach twist.

"And, naturally, I was mad at Mika for going out with Reese, because she _knew _I liked him. Not only did she crush Travis's feelings by going out with Reese the day after they broke up, she went around town with him, showing off all the time! Everywhere you looked, there were Mika and Reese, holding hands, hugging, whatever! They were just rubbing it in!" June, working herself into a tizzy as she ranted, took a deep breath and went on more calmly, "And to make things worse, when I talked to her about it, Gina was on Mika's side! She said she _understood _what Mika was doing! Can you _believe _that?!"

Laura couldn't, and she didn't want to. Right away, a knot formed in her stomach, and she felt a bit queasy. She had known that Junior High would have much more drama and personal dilemmas than her old school, but she wasn't expecting so much so fast, especially on the first day, before classes even began. It was really making her head spin...

Kana could sense her friend's distress, and quickly interjected, "Well, we'd better get to homeroom. The bell is going to ring soon, and we don't want to be late on our first day."

June was distracted by Kana's ruse, and the bright smile returned to her face. "Oh yeah! I better hurry, I want to make sure I get a good seat; I hear our teacher is going to let us pick, and I do _not _want to be by Mika or Gina! It's bad enough we have class with them. See you there, Laura, I'll save you a seat! By Kylie, Kana!" She scurried away and up the same stairwell Gina and co. had vanished up a few minutes before.

Once she was gone, Kylie brushed the back of her hand across her forehead. "Whew! I'm glad that's over. If I have to hear her talk about how mad she is at Gina for one more second I'll explode!" She chuckled dryy, and then walked off down the hallway, calling over her shoulder, "Bye Laura! I'll see you in homeroom, Kana! I gotta go find Kory..."

When they were alone again, Kana peered at Laura with concern in her eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked, placing a comforting hand on Laura's shoulder. "You looked really worried, and you got really pale for a second..."

Laura waved her off. "I'm fine!" She smiled, trying to muster up her usual level of cheeriness. How she wished all of this drama wasn't affecting her so negatively...and she wasn't even involved! Not directly, anyway. And they hadn't even _seen _Travis, Reese, or Roberto yet, or heard Mika or Gina's side of this story...

Still trying to maintain a smile, Laura sighed and exchanged a knowing look with her best friend. "Well, you _did _say things were going to get worse..." She admitted with a small, humorless chuckle, hoping to bring light to the situation. "I just wasn't prepared for _how much_ worse."

Kana smiled faintly, no trace of happiness on her face. "Don't I know it! I don't even know how things are between Travis and Reese...though I hear that soccer practices are a lot more violent than they should be these days."

Suddenly, amidst all of her churning emotions, Laura felt a consuming sadness. Travis had broken up with Mika, and she was now with Reese, angering June and Travis, and Gina and Josh had sided with Mika and Reese, and who knew how _else _her friends were divided! She hated to think that her group of friends, that had been very close-knit over the past year, would suddenly be torn in half, all because of a silly little break up. She didn't like to think that she may have to pick sides, knowing that she would only hurt good friends, no matter who she decided to side with. Whatever angle she took to the situation, she could see no ray of hope, small or otherwise.

Leaning her head against the wall for a moment, Laura sighed deeply, and repeated her sentiment from earlier, "Things really _are _about to get really complicated now that we're in Junior High, aren't they?"

Kana sighed too, and leaned on the wall right next to her best friend, her optimism from earlier diminished. With a meager smile, she replied, speaking the words that Laura was thinking at that moment, "Yep. And I have a bad feeling that it will be far more complicated and confusing than we can ever imagine."

Only later would the girls realize how true Kana's words were.

* * *

Joy arrived in Oak Tree Park only a couple of hours after departing Dreamland. Coaxing her dove to fly lower, she managed to conceal herself and her feathery transporter amidst the canopies of the trees until they landed safely with a soft thump in a clearing, surrounded by towering oaks and thick shrubbery. Staff of Dreams in paw, she managed to unstrap herself and slide down the side of the dove, and she let out a content sigh as her hind paws hit the cool grass, so different from the clouded streets of her homeland. With curious amber eyes, she peered around at her surroundings, pleased that it was quiet, save for a few song birds, and seemed like a very nice area.

A perfect home for heroic hamsters!

"We're here!" Joy said triumphantly, patting her tired dove, who cooed wearily at her in response. However, her pride was soon replaced with severity, as she said in a much firmer tone, a gleam of courage in her eyes, "Now...time for business! I have to find those brave heroes!"

She shoved the map into the bag attached to her seat on the dove's back, and pulled out a small bag of birdseed for it to eat while she was off hero-hunting. "You stay here and rest awhile..." She told the dove kindly as it eagerly devoured the snack. "I'll be back as soon as I find _them_." Then, Staff of Dreams in her good paw, Joy set off determinedly through the tall underbrush.

She forged her way through the shrubbery, looking around every so often, trying to memorize her location so she would be able to make her way back to her dove once she completed her mission. It was a lovely park, with many beautiful flowers, a large, human built contraption that several young human children were playing on, and tall, healthy trees, with the beautiful golden sunlight filtering in through the rustling leaves. It was a beauty so different from the beauty of Dreamland, her native home, that Joy had to constantly remind herself that she was on a mission and couldn't afford to admire the scenery in-depth.

About twenty minutes and a quarter of the park later, she grew restless. The park was large...the hamsters she was searching for could be anywhere, even underground! What if she never found them? Instantly, she threw herself into a panic, and began to search even quicker, looking under rocks, in roots, and even inspecting the knotholes of several trees, despite the danger of wild birds. She would not fail on this mission! Her best friend was in the clutches of evil, and was getting in even deeper peril with each passing second. Those hamsters had to be somewhere...

Joy was so intent on searching she almost didn't hear the clamor of voices through a collection of tall grass. Ears pricking forward, she could hear what sounded like several hamsters, the badda-badda of little feet, and a dull thudding noise...like some ham-hams were kicking something. Immediately interested, Joy crouched low to the ground, and moved stealthily toward the voices, a stern, determined look on her face and staff raised out in front of her. Her paws quivered with anticipation.

She carefully maneuvered herself through the tall grass, and soon, she could see the sources of the voices through a few blades of grass. But they weren't quite what she had been expecting.

"Heads up, Dex!"

"Watch it, Cappy! That was my paw!"

"Siren! Get in the game for Pete's sake, you're the _goalie_!"

"Who's Pete?"

"Hamtaro, look out!"

Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope, acting as three very sleepy cheerleaders, watched drowsily as the boys, plus Siren and Sandy, played a friendly game of acorn soccer. If you could even call it that.

So far, the score was 0-0, and no one had gotten even close to scoring. Everyone was so tired already, running was an almost impossible task, and they found that the ball wound up out of bounds far more than it stayed in. Normally, their games were good-natured, with a decent level of competition, but this time, no one seemed to care much, or, if they did, they were too tired to actually do anything about the lackluster play.

Hamtaro did not heed Oxnard's warning, and wound up taking an acorn to the side of his head. He teetered for a moment, woozy, then toppled over onto a soft patch of grass, where he lay dozing, eyes closed peacefully, asleep before he hit the ground.

"Hamtaro!" Boss wailed, the only one pushing past his fatigue and putting in a realistic effort. "You can't nap on the _field_!"

"Zis ees ze strangest game of acorn soccer I 'ave ever seen, _non_?" Bijou giggled with a dainty yawn. "Normally, you do not zee 'amsters falling asleep on ze field...poor Hamtaro! 'e looks zo _exhausted_."

"Maybe we should just take a day off and have some naptime. We could all use it, after all!" Pashmina suggested, with Penelope squeaking, "Ookwee!" in agreement.

The game went on without Hamtaro, however. Sandy wound up with the acorn after a few minutes of more scoreless dribbling, and deftly passed it to Maxwell, who tripped over it and landed right next to his slumbering friend, who did not even wake as Maxwell landed with a thud next to him. Soon, Maxwell was snoring as well. Discouraged that they had lost two players to sleep, Stan dribbled the acorn down field, with little opposition, for as soon as Dexter launched himself after Stan, Howdy got in the way, nearly tackling his bowtie-wearing friend. Instead of bickering, they too, fell asleep in a heap in midfield. Stan managed to reach the opposing goal, and kicked the acorn hard at the opposing goalie, Siren. She had been staring into space, and took the acorn straight to the face, blocking it. She fell down in an exhausted heap afterward, out cold. Stan went for the rebound shot, but tripped over a dozing Cappy and fell asleep as well, the acorn an inch from his face.

Boss let out a frustrated goran. "This is the most pathetic game of acorn soccer ever played, ham-hams!" He complained from the other goal, as Sandy and Panda, as well as the three cheerleaders on the sidelines, also succumbed to their fatigue and collapsed. "Come _on_! We've got to do something to keep our minds off of losing so much sleep!"

With bleary eyes, he observed his depleted ranks. Only Oxnard stood, hunched slightly, in the middle of the field. "At least I've got you, Oxy!" Boss said, smiling appreciatively at the spotted, chubby ham-ham.

As soon as the last word left his mouth, Oxnard let out a gargantuan snore. He had fallen asleep standing up, still clutching his favorite seed to his chest. Defeated, Boss hung his head and let his broad shoulders droop. Perhaps sleep was one enemy that was impossible to beat. If that was the case, he wanted the ham-hams to hold out as long as they possibly could. Throwing his head back and drawing in a huge breath of air, Boss hollered at the top of his lungs,

"WAKE _UP_ HAM-HAMS!!!!!"

The slumbering hams on the field jolted awake and stood bolt upright, looking around dazedly for the acorn. The cheerleaders also jerked out of their dozing state and got to their feet, cheering random names and hoping that they were for the right team. In the thick grass, Joy also jumped a little, startled by the sudden roar. Stan, once he came to his senses, located the acorn and kicked it so it rolled delicately into the goal, right past Siren's tail.

"Alright! We won! Who's da ham?" He asked smugly, flexing. Eying the cheerleaders, he quipped, "Take a look at these muscles, hamgirls! Impressive, huh?"

"We just woke up, Stan!" Dexter snapped, agitated. "That shouldn't even count!"

Hamtaro rubbed his head wearily, one of the last ham-hams to recover. His face was lacking it's usual smile, and his warm brown eyes were clouded over with a deep worry, which Panda picked up on immediately. "Hamtaro?" He asked uncertainly. "Is something wrong?"

As he asked, the other ham-hams diverted their attention onto their unofficial leader, and the hamster watching them from the tall grass leaned in for a closer look, though she managed to remain hidden from them.

"Yeah..." Hamtaro said with a stern look on his face, reminiscent of his heroic persona from Hamwall, which had all but faded since the event. "Right before Boss's yell woke us all up, I had the beginning of the nightmare from last night again."

Cappy's eyes widened. "The same one?"

Hamtaro nodded. "It was just the start of it though!" He pointed out with a small, meager smile, as if trying to brighten the bleak news. "Not the really _gasp-P_ parts, but I could tell right away what it was. Did it happen to any of you? It looks like all of us except Boss were _zuzuzu_..."

No one nodded, which was of little consolation to Hamtaro. Maxwell, however, was stroking his chin, and it was clear that the gears in his head were grinding a mile a minute. Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope trotted over to join the players, who had all huddled around Hamtaro in the center of the field. After a brief pause, Maxwell said, voice distant, "Well, Hamtaro _was _the first one to fall asleep, by about two minutes. We can only assume that, had we been given more time to sleep, that all of us would have lapsed into the nightmare again, one after the other, like a chain reaction."

"This is gettin' really freaky, hams..." Howdy said, shaking his head from side to side slowly, as if he were in disbelief. "All of us havin' the same dern nightmare last night, and one of us havin' it again in the mornin'! It's a morninmare now!"

"_Not _the time, Howdy," Dexter scolded, and although Howdy looked indigant, he did not argue.

Sandy looked worried, and had begun to wring her paws, Stan standing beside her with a comforting paw on her shoulder. "I don't know about you guys, but I, like, think this is totally _more _than just a coincidence now!" Sandy said with a nervous glance at Maxwell.

The book smart ham nodded grimly, now unable to deny the sinister, dark feeling that had swallowed them, making the fur on the backs of their necks stand up. "I think so too. Something...something _more _is at work here. I just wish we knew what. And I don't think that any book in my collection has the answer."

Instantly, all the effort to try and forget the strange occurrence from the night before was forgotten, and an exhausted, sad, and somewhat defeated feeling swept over the ham-hams. What if the nightmare returned tonight? And, if the horrible nightmare was something more than just a bad dream, like they felt it was...how could they _stop _such a thing? Sleep wasn't something you could fight for long without giving in, but they didn't want to sleep if it meant they would have to endure that nightmare again.

"I never thought I'd see a day where sleep wasn't safe for ham-hams!" Siren said with a soft sigh, brow furrowed as she scratched behind one ear. Even her abilities as Guardian of hamsterkind were powerless against sleep.

And, silently, all of the ham-hams agreed.

* * *

As did Joy.

She watched with narrowed amber eyes as the brave hamsters she had been seeking gave up on their game of acorn soccer and trooped over to a small formation of rocks near the base of a tree. Soon, they disappeared; down a tunnel, she presumed. Her keen sense of hearing had picked up on what they were talking about, and, as she put the pieces together, she realized that Steel had gotten to these heroic hamsters' minds, polluting them with his evil intentions. Dreamland, thanks to the magic surrounding it, had been safe from his deeds last night, but, apparently, other areas were not so lucky.

Somehow, Steel had gotten use of the Staff of Nightmares, and that meant he could control Fury somehow. And that was a very bad sign...

"I have to act fast!" Joy decided, face steely and amber eyes ablaze with resolve. Her paw tightened around the Staff of Dreams protectively, as if fearing that it would be stolen as well.

Carefully, Joy nudged her way out of the tall grass and scurried over to the entrance tunnel the ham-hams had vanished into. She carefully peered around a rock and sniffed, and could smell only good things, like fresh sunflower seeds and other, clean hamsters, as well as the faint scent of walnuts, her favorite snack, wafting up through the dimly lit tunnel. It looked, smelled, and sounded safe enough, and those hamsters were definitely the brave ones she was searching for.

"Here goes nothing..." She murmured, tightening her magenta bandana so it rested snugly over her shoulders. Head held high, Joy stepped lightly into the passageway, her footsteps making little noise as they drew closer and closer to the reinforcements she hoped to recruit. Her heart began to beat harder, and she wondered what these heroes would be like...would they have plans, or special skills, other than the Guardian, that would help the forces of Dreamland take Steel down?

Joy didn't care what their abilities were. As long as they saved Fury and defeated Steel, making sleep safe for hamsters everywhere again. The inviting smell drew nearer, and soon she could hear voices...

Laura had to part ways with Kana at the stairwell, as their homerooms were on separate floors. She promised to save Kana a seat in Science class if they were allowed to pick, and then, she was alone, and instantly self conscious and very aware of the other students milling by, hurrying to get to homeroom before the final bell. She scurried up the stairs faster than she ever had before, and found room 211 in no time. The door was propped open, and she peered hesitantly inside the warzone.

The teacher was writing a slew of rules on the board, listening and humming to a walkman so he didn't have to hear the idle chatter of the students behind him. Laura saw several students she did not recognize, although they looked friendly enough, and not frightening, as she had expected. But there were also a few familiar faces.

June sat on one side of the room, by the windows, with a vacant seat next to her. She waved upon seeing Laura, and Laura half-heartedly waved back, scanning the rest of the room. Gina and Mika sat at two seats on the opposite side of the room from June, chatting in low voices together. Both waved at Laura as well, and she returned the gesture, earning a glare from June. Lance, Kana's crush, was sitting in the seat behind June, giving her comical bunny-ears. Clearly, the room was going to be divided between _Team June_ and _Team Mika._ There were several empty chairs, but Laura, not wanting to make June even angrier, sat down at the vacant desk beside her friend.

June seemed pleased that Laura had chosen her side of the room, even though Laura hadn't officially sided with anyone yet. "We're stuck with _them_..." She hissed out of the corner of her mouth, shooting a glare at the redhead and the brunette a few desks away. They didn't notice.

Laura didn't quite know what to say. "Well...only for homeroom." She pointed out weakly, unsure if she should be supportive of June's anger, or against all of the arguing and the cold shoulders that were tearing her friends apart.

Lance patted Laura on the back. "Hey, Lar!" He greeted with a huge, ear-to-ear grin. "I guess Kana's not in this class, is she?"

Laura shook her head no. "Bummer..." He looked genuinely upset, and slouched in his seat. "At least _she _doesn't have to be in the center of the Travis/Reese feud. I have a feeling this homeroom is going to be split down the middle!" He made a slicing motion with his arm, whistling for sound effects.

"Oh, shut it Lance..." June growled.

"Hey, I'm on _your _side! Don't snap at _me_!" He defended himself, kicking his feet up on his desk and leaning back in his chair.

All of a sudden, the room fell a bit quieter, and several students stopped moving. One small, meek looking boy dropped his pencil mid-sharpen.

Laura glanced over to the other side of the room, where she saw Gina and Mika, looking up at the door. Mika was smiling brightly, looking much happier than she had earlier. June let out a disgusted groan that she didn't even try to suppress, while Lance averted his gaze out the window. Laura shifted her gaze to the door, where Reese O'Rourke himself stood. His dirty-blonde hair, styled to perfection, and icy grey eyes were enough to make any girl melt and any guy freeze. Laura felt a chill wind it's way up her spine at the sight of him, in light of recent discoveries. His presence was certainly imposing.

No trace of emotion crossed his features as he scanned the room with his void gaze, passing right over June, Lance, and Laura without a thought, as well as six girls huddled in the back who had swooned at the sight of him, and the boy who had dropped his pencil. But, when he at last saw Mika waving tentatively at him, a genuine, warm smile lit up his normally composed, emotionless face, bringing light and emotion to a face that was normally flat and stern.

The sight was startling to Laura. Reese was a very stoic, bored kind of character, a gifted soccer player, having transferred to her school from America in fifth grade. In regards to admirers, he had his fair share (second only to Travis), though he never gave them the time of day. In the year and some-odd months since she had met him, Laura had never, _ever_, seen Reese smile. The change made him even handsomer. As they caught sight of his grin, the girls in the back let out a few lovesick, hopeful sighs, though he payed them no heed. He instead walked over to Gina and Mika, giving the latter an uncharacteristically affectionate hug before stealing the seat beside her. The girls in the back sighed in defeat.

Laura's gaze flickered to Mika. Surprisingly, she looked just as thrilled as Reese. Laura had thought, from what Kana and Kylie had told her, that Reese had come _between _Travis and Mika, causing their breakup, and then afterwards, Mika had gone out with him because it was an easy option. But...had the intervention of Reese really _bothered _Mika at all? Had the _breakup _even bothered her? Right now, she looked much happier than Laura had ever seen her, and the pair were currently hunched over Reese's desk, heads together, comparing schedules. The smile never left Reese's face.

"I will admit..." Lance spoke up over Laura's shoulder, making her jump slightly and pulling her focus from the happy couple. "I've never seen Reese actually _happy _before, so the effect she has on him is great. But still, the way he went about everything was real shady. I just can't be happy for him. Especially with Trav..." His voice trailed off.

The room had quieted again. This time, nobody was looking at the person in the doorway with an excited twinkle in their eye, or an eager smile. No one was groaning agitatedly, or looking away. All was still and silent, save the teacher, who was swaying to the music blaring through his headphones. Laura slowly looked to see who had caused such a silence, and her own eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the person.

"Speak of the devil...figures he'd be stuck in here with _them_..." Lance finished in a grumble.

It was Travis.

* * *

Maxwell pored over his Encyclopedia, rubbing his eyes every time he came close to drifting off. The rest of the ham-hams, seated around the yellow table, were leaning forward on their elbows, waiting for him to make some miraculous discovery that would solve or explain their sleeping difficulties and the dreadful nightmare. So far, it had only been five minutes, but they were growing more anxious and edgy with each passing second.

"Well, nothing under 'N' for nightmare...other than some facts about recurring nightmares, which is what I think we're dealing with, since Hamtaro experienced it again..." Maxwell trailed thoughtfully, rapidly flipping through the pages. "And nothing helpful under 'D' for dream, other than some legends and theories. Perhaps I should take a look around my library at home, just for good measure, though I don't think I own a book on these subjects...my human may, however, and I might just be able to take a peek in his encyclopedia."

Cappy wailed, "Oh, what if we _never _find the answer? We'll never sleep peacefully again!"

Trying to be of help, Dexter pointed out, "There may not even _be_ an answer. Sleep is a very difficult subject to study! And dreams, especially bad ones, are also hard to figure out." Unfortunately, this only succeeded in making the ham-hams spirits drip lower as Maxwell shuffled back to the index.

"We just have to, like, look really hard!" Sandy decided with a determined fist pump. "It may take a while, and we may lose hours of sleep, but we can't like, live with this nightmare forever!"

"There are no guarantees it will come back tonight, though," Panda offered hopefully. "I know Hamtaro started to have it on the soccer field, but maybe that was just a coincidence. Maybe it was a one time thing!" As he went on, even he doubted what he was saying. All this talk of coincidence was beginning to seem ridiculous.

"But all of us having the same nightmare in the _same _night?" Boss replied, skeptical. "Not so ordinary. This has to be something more than just a one-time bad dream." Several of the ham-hams nodded in agreement. They had seen their fair share of extraordinary things this summer, and knew enough to know when something wasn't right, or when an experience was more than it seemed.

Maxwell slammed his book shut, shaking his head. "Like I said earlier, I don't think any book will have the answers we need."

Howdy leaned back in his stool, chuckling despite the situation. "Well, it's not like the answer's gonna just come a'kncokin' at our door, now is it?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth when there was a firm, decisive rapping at the door. All of the ham-hams jumped in surprise. The room feel silent, save for a lightly snoring Snoozer, and all eyes flickered onto the door. It was rare for someone to actually _knock _on the Clubhouse door, and they could feel the fur on the back of their necks stand on end. Whoever waited on the other side knocked again, louder this time, and with greater urgency. The ham-hams jumped again.

"I had nuthin to do wit that, I _swear_..." Howdy whispered meekly, as a few of the ham-hams glared accusingly in his direction.

Boss bravely volunteered to answer it. Stepping lightly, he sidled up to the door. The doorknob turned with a small jiggle, and he pulled the door open slowly. It creaked ominously, making the ham-hams quiver slightly. As soon as the door was fully open, Boss took a huge step backwards, as if he were surprised, and the ham-hams grew wide-eyed when they saw their distinguished visitor, standing like a beam of sunlight in the dim tunnel. Their jaws fell open in shock, stunned eyes traveling from the fierce look in her amber eyes, to the sling that held one arm, to the intricate staff held firmly in her paw.

"Greetings from Dreamland, brave hamsters, heroes of Hamwall!" Joy declared proudly, holding the beautiful Staff of Dreams out in front of her. "Princess Hamorette sent me here to request your aid! Hamsters everywhere are in danger, and we need your help to restore balance to the world!"

* * *

**CFB:** Ah...deja vu. The adventure starts much earlier this time around than it did in _GT_. On a side note, I just swallowed scalding coffee and I think I burned the inside of my throat quite badly. Whoopsie. AND WHY ARE THESE CHAPTERS SO LONG?! I DON'T EVEN KNOW. (Seriously, I don't. I never feel like I've written that much.)

_Next time:_ Joy pleads her case to the ham-hams. They eventually want to help, but hesitate once they find out the cost. Will it be off to Dreamland to help Princess Hamorette and Joy, or will they decline? What could possibly hold them back? And Travis enters the warzone...how will he react to seeing Reese and his ex, and vice versa? More importantly, how will Laura react to seeing _Travis_? And why is there so much drama in junior high?

R&R...or just R. I just hope you enjoy this fic.


	3. Dream Vacation

**CFB:** Blahhhh....sorry this is late. And happy belated holidays! But the chapters are long, so hopefully that makes up for it. I only have two days of break left and wanted to get this up.

_This time:_ Joy begs the ham-hams to help out Dreamland, but what will it entail? Can they really go off on a whirlwind adventure so soon after Hamwall? The payoff is certainly enticing. And Laura suffers from more drama...Travis comes face to face with the relationship-wrecker and the heart-breaker. Plus, some fun with balloons.

**Thanks: **To all who reviewed or favorited or alerted this story/me! I appreciate it.

_**Awsomewriter123: **_Thanks for reviewing again! I hope you continue to like this story!

_**Dbzgtfan2004:**_ Thank you! And I agree...Hamtaro and Bijou forever!

_**Sandyandmaxwellfanatic: **_Thank you very much for reviewing twice! It's a great confidence boost. I'm glad you like this so far, and I hope you enjoy the rest of this story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

I'm probably the only person who got the 'mean girl' vibe from June on the show. That will come out more in this chapter...

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2:**_ Dream Vacation _

A dead silence followed Joy's declaration. She stood proudly in the doorway, amber eyes flitting from weary face to weary face, waiting patiently for some kind of response from these brave heroes. The ham-hams, speechless and in shock, had been caught off-guard so badly no one could find a thing to say in return. All they could do was stare slack-jawed at the valiant Protector of Slumber and the Staff she wielded.

"You...you..." Boss finally managed to blabber, though he couldn't sort out any other coherent words. "You..."

"Ah! How silly of me!" Joy giggled, her laugh like the tinkle of a bell, beaming. "I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Joy, Protector of Slumber and Wielder of the Staff of Dreams of the great hamster kingdom of Dreamland!"

There was another long pause. Joy grew slightly nervous as their wide-eyed stares bored into her, unwavering. Were they going to _say_ anything? She fidgeted slightly, her smile faltering, though she tried not to let on that they were making her uneasy with their unyielding staring. Was there something about her that had shocked them into speechlessness? Surely heroes of their calibur were used to requests and visitors like this...

"I'm sorry...did you say..._Dreamland_?" Maxwell asked, disbelievingly.

Joy, pleased that someone had articulated an actual sentence, turned to him and nodded. "Of course! I came here _from _Dreamland, at Princess Hamorette's request. Nobody ever leaves Dreamland unless granted permission by the princess herself, you see!" She explained, as if what she said wasn't very strange, or common knowledge to everyone.

"B-but..." Dexter spluttered. "I thought Dreamland was just a legend! A _fictional _place! We've heard about it in several fairy tales, but no one has ever actually proven its existence!"

Siren murmured, propping her chin up on the table with her paws, not quite as surprised as some of the others were,"Well now, ham-hams, I think we _all_ learned a lesson or two about doubting legends a few weeks ago after a certain legend came true, didn't we?"

The ham-hams could not argue with that logic. Joy nodded along with them, pleased. "I assure you, Dreamland is real. And the legends about it are often wrong...you see, it is_ not _held in place by a fleet of a thousand doves, nor do all of the inhabitants glow in the dark. But, Dreamland _is_ responsible for the sleep of hamsters everywhere, as almost every legend states! And, it's just as wonderful and magical as you can imagine, I'm sure!" The cheerful, semi-oblivious note to her voice only bewildered the ham-hams even more.

She turned her eyes back onto Siren, whom she had noticed when the newest ham-ham had first spoken. Tilting her head to one side and squinting her eyes, Joy asked Siren, voice slow and thoughtful, "You look very....familiar. Like you remind me of someone I know. Have we met before, young ham?"

Siren didn't recall ever having met Joy, but figured she knew why she looked familiar. "I get that a lot..." She murmured, face tinted with scarlet.

More awkward silence followed. At last, Hamtaro managed to snap out of his surprised daze, and he merrily hopped to his feet. He strutted straight up to Joy, smiled warmly at her, and extended his paw for her to shake. Even though she had caught them unawares, it was important to make an effort to welcome any ham-ham to the Clubhouse. "Hamha, Joy! My name's Hamtaro, and we're the ham-hams! This is Oxnard, Bijou, Boss, Howdy, Dexter, Stan, Sandy, Maxwell, Pashmina, Penelope, Cappy, Siren, and Panda! Oh, and Snoozer, over in the corner. Pleased to meet you!"

She transferred the Staff of Dreams to her wounded paw and shook his paw, offering him a bright smile of her own, and then directing it at each of the ham-hams. "Pleased to meet you all. It's always a great pleasure to meet great heroes such as yourselves!"

"Heke? Heroes?" Hamtaro titled his head to one side, confused. "What do you mean?"

Joy was surprised. "Why, I'm speaking of your decisive defeat of the evil hamster Spyke just a few weeks ago, of course!" She replied, equally as puzzled as he. How could they not know what she was talking about? "Your victory had all of Dreamland abuzz for days! Princess Hamorette was thoroughly impressed; that is why she sent me here, to find _you_!"

Siren was taken aback this time, so much so she nearly fell off her stool. The other ham-hams faces mirrored her shock. "How do you know about _that_?" She demanded, befuddled. "We were the only hamsters _in_ Hamwall that day! No one could have known about us beating Spyke, since we were the _only _ones who saw!" The very thought that someone other than the ham-hams had witnessed the spectacle at Hamwall made her flush with embarrassment.

Joy smiled faintly, a mysterious twinkle to her eye. "There was one other you did not notice. Princess Hamorette sent a Watcher, a hamster who scopes out the outside world in the best interest of Dreamland, to Hamwall on that fateful day, just to see if the Legend of Fate would prove true. And it did! He even got a few pictures and followed you brave hamsters back here, to your home, so we would know where to find you should the need ever arise. And now, it has!"

That news fell like a bomb on the ham-hams. They exchanged stunned glances and a few whispers, while Joy stood nervously watching them, still lingering in the doorway. A strange hamster, hailing from Dreamland, had just suddenly shown up on their doorstep asking for their help, and claiming to know all about their actions at Hamwall earlier that summer. It was way too much for them to absorb all at once, especially when they were so exhausted on top of it all...their brains were all jumbled, a mess of confusion, surprise, and weariness.

While they digested her words, Joy decided it was time to reveal something she knew would catch their attention.

"I _know _about your nightmares."

They snapped out of their surprised stupors at that and all eyes shot back to Joy, wide once more. Her face had turned stern, amber eyes glowing faintly with a mixture of concern and determination, mouth set in a firm line. She went on in a serious, no-nonsense voice, "And, more importantly, I know what, or rather, _who_, is behind the nightmares."

At these words, the ham-hams erupted into a frenzy of questions, bombarding her with dozens of 'why's' 'how's' and 'what's.' Bewildered, she momentarily froze, taken aback by their sudden change in attitude. The large field hamster, Boss, raised his paw to silence everyone and soon, their questions died, though Joy could see the yearn for answers burning behind their purple-rimmed eyes. Hamtaro beckoned for her to come inside, and he shut the door behind her. Now, it was time for her to get down to business. She had a mission to complete.

She stepped up to stand in front of the table, the anxious faces of the ham-hams turned to her, all of their attention centered on her next words. Snoozer, dozing in the corner, let out a discontented grumble, and began to toss and turn in his sock, just as Joy had opened her mouth to speak again. A look of concern flashed across Joy's face, and she quickly scampered over to where the snoozing hamster lay in an uneasy rest, always ready to help a sleeping hamster in need.

"Zuzuzu...get away, monster...zuzuzu...stop...stop _laughing_..." Snoozer muttered, his face scrunched up in pain.

The ham-hams watched as Joy, her eyes closed, gingerly held the Staff of Dreams over the sleeping form of Snoozer. The sun attached to the top of it began to glow a faint gold color, and she waved it gently in front of Snoozer's crumpled face. In an instant, his expression relaxed and he was snoring contentedly again, lulled into a peaceful, nightmare-free slumber. The staff ceased glowing, returning to its normal state.

Satisfied, Joy turned back to the ham-hams only to find that they were staring at her in amazement, their mouths agape. Giggling nervously, she realized that there were many things she needed to tell them before she could officially ask for their help.

"Perhaps I should explain...from the beginning."

* * *

Travis was every bit as handsome as he always was. Even though he only sent a few butterflies off inside her stomach as opposed to the dozens he used to, Laura couldn't help but feel very glad to see him. That happiness took a hit, however, once she saw the look on his face.

He had been smiling as he entered, but that smile abruptly faded once he caught sight of Mika and Reese, sitting closely together and clearly not trying to hide anything. Mika had gone still as a statue, blue eyes wide in surprise and what looked like fear, but unable to tear themselves from her recent ex. Reese was also completely still, but his piercing grey eyes had narrowed and his mouth was pressed into a firm line as he eyed his rival. Gina indifferently pulled a nail file from her bag and set to work, though Travis plainly wasn't happy to see her either.

"Trav!" Lance, sensing the awkwardness, waved wildly at the raven-haired boy, whose attention was called away from Reese and Mika. "I saved you a seat next to me, bro!"

Smiling gratefully, Travis swiftly headed over to sit in the seat directly behind Laura, next to his soccer buddy Lance. "Hi Laura!" He greeted her warmly, waving. His voice was at its normal, cheerful level, as if the steely, uncomfortable exchange of silence between him and _Team Mika_ hadn't even happened. "I was hoping to see some friendly faces when I came in."

"Hi Travis!" She returned, hoping she sounded happy as well. She _was _glad to see him, though she wished it were under better circumstances, and hoped that she didn't sound sympathetic, lest he think she just felt sorry for him. "Good to see you too!"

"Hey, June..." He turned his cobalt-colored eyes onto the miffed girl, and she nodded at him in response. For a moment, Laura could detect a gleam of mutual understanding between their gazes, but it was so fleeting she easily could have imagined it.

Travis glanced quickly over at Reese and Mika again, but they had returned to talking quietly together. Reese had put his hand on Mika's shoulder, but, strangely, Mika swatted it away, blushing. Reese gazed at her questioningly, but she just hissed something incoherent at him and began absently rifling through her bookbag for something. Agitated, Reese crossed his arms over his chest and slumped back in his chair, a scowl on his face. Gina frowned at this, but went on filing as if nothing was wrong.

"Don't know why she's trying to hide it all of a sudden..." June murmured next to Laura, low enough that Travis couldn't hear. "It's common knowledge _now_."

After hearing June's quiet, but angry remark, Laura suddenly wished that Kana was there with her. Having a best friend beside you, someone who also wasn't siding with anyone else, was a comfort, but here, Laura found herself alone and trapped in the middle of an argument she wasn't even a part of, and it wasn't a position she liked much. She had a bad feeling that if she tried to stay friends with both sides, more and more feelings would be hurt, in an unending cycle until they were all torn apart.

And it was only _morning_...

"Hey, Laura?"

Laura jumped out of her seat as Travis tapped her gently on the shoulder, bringing her back to reality. Blushing madly, she stammered, "Erm, yeah?"

He smiled at her, blue eyes regaining some of their old twinkle, and he held out his schedule for her to take. "Didn't mean to startle you. I was just wondering if we had any classes together."

"Oh..." Laura, cheeks flaming, took his schedule and compared it with hers. It was hard to ignore that her heart beat faster when she saw that they had Science, Math, History, Lunch, and Gym together; that was over half the day. And she felt her stomach tighten when she realized that she had Math and Gym with Mika as well, which meant that Mika would be in class with Travis, and it didn't appear as if they were on speaking terms. She could feel the awkwardness already...and it had to be even worse for Travis.

"We have these five together," Laura pointed them out to him, turning around to speak with him face to face, though she found she had to keep her eyes lowered onto the desk to keep herself from blushing. "That's more than I have with anyone!"

"Awesome!" Travis beamed. Laura felt a few more butterflies start up, along with a new wave of dread she couldn't quite explain.

Suddenly, the final bell sounded loudly, and the welcome back announcements commenced over the intercom, sending the students scrambling to find seats near friends. The teacher reluctantly got rid of his walkman and crossed the room to shut the door, cutting off all forms of escape. The announcements finished, and the teacher prepared to begin the long, tedious lecture on classroom rules, while Laura fished her notebook out of her bookbag, painfully aware of who was sitting right behind her and what his smile was doing to her emotions again...

* * *

"So, this evil hamster...his name is Steel?"

Joy nodded, taking a long sip of tea, refreshing after her journey. "Yes. He was once a friend of Dreamland, and a childhood friend of the royal family, Princess Hamorette in particular. But, ever since he lost his family in a terrible siege...he's been a very vengeful ham, taking all of his anger out on Dreamland."

The ham-hams had dragged Boss's faded yellow armchair to the head of the table, providing Joy with a place to sit and tell her story where everyone could hear her. All of their fatigue was more or less forgotten; their ears pricked eagerly forward as the Protector of Slumber spoke, eyes shining eagerly. As she spoke of Dreamland, a beautiful princess, and brave knights, the ham-hams couldn't help but feel she was sharing a fairy-tale with them, and had to keep reminding themselves that she was speaking of reality, albeit a reality they had never imagined.

"He's been after the Stone of Slumber for years, but the knights were always able to fend him off. Until yesterday..." Her expression darkened, as she remembered what had happened. "He had a better plan. While he distracted the knights, he had his little hench-ham Nikolai sneak into the Chamber of Peaceful Rest and steal the Stone. Nikolai's a gifted thief, and a native of Dreamland as well. Before anyone knew what was happening, he and Steel were gone with the Stone, as well as many of Princess Hamorette's riches. But the Stone was the biggest loss."

"Zat ees terrible!" Bijou frowned, ears drooping slightly. "Why would he want zis Stone of Slumber? You told us zat ze stone ees what makes ham-hams fall azleep at night, _non_? Why would zat 'elp 'im?"

Joy's face fell grim, and the ham-hams tensed. "It's not _just_ the Stone he was after. With the Stone, he can make any hamster fall asleep at will. But, there was something else he wanted, and that was the Staff of Nightmares." Just the idea of such a staff and what it was capable of sent chills up the ham-hams' spines.

"Like your Staff of Dreams?" Cappy asked, eying the tool in Joy's wounded paw.

She smiled, and replied, "Yes, but while my Staff is responsible for giving hamsters sweet dreams, the Staff of Nightmares gives hamsters nightmares. It's important to have a balance of both nightmares and dreams, you see! But it's more important to keep the staffs in the right paws for that balance to be reached. My partner, Fury, the other Protector of Slumber, was in charge of the Staff of Nightmares. When we went to attack Steel and reclaim the Stone, he managed to hamnap her. Now, somehow, he's gained control of the Staff of Nightmares..."

Maxwell nodded along with her, stroking his chin as his eyes glazed over with thought. "I think I understand now. This Staff of Nightmares, paired with the Stone of Slumber, in the paws of this Steel character, is what gave all of us the nightmare last night?"

"Correct!" Joy smiled, pleased that they were understanding. "And, from what you've told me of your nightmare, I'm fairly sure the hamster in it _is_ Steel, and the glowing scepter he holds has the Stone of Slumber embedded in it. As for the creature..." Her expression darkened mysteriously, alarming the ham-hams. "Well...it certainly sounds terrifying, but I'm not sure I know what it could be." The look on her face said otherwise, but no one pushed the topic.

"Well, if yeh got the Staff er Dreams, why don'tcha use it ter stop the nightmares?" Howdy asked. "Yeh sure made Snoozer calm down earlier!"

Joy shook her head sadly, amber eyes downcast. With a sorrowful twang to her voice, she went on, "It's not that simple. The Staff of Nightmares and the Stone of Slumber, when in the wrong paws, are a force far greater than the Staff of Dreams by itself. I could help your sleeping friend in the corner, but that's about the limit of the affect I can have, and as far as my power can reach. Because of that, I can do little against Steel alone. And that is why I've come here, seeking your help!"

She looked from one ham-ham to the next with a pleading, hopeful look crossing her face. Her amber eyes suddenly rimmed with tears, startling her audience, but showing just how serious she was. "Please, brave ham-hams!" She begged them, her voice wavering with emotion. "You must help us stop Steel and rescue Fury! If you don't, Dreamland, not to mention the rest of the hamster world, will be in great danger!" She clasped her paws together in front of her, the Staff of Dreams clenched between them.

"You are our _only _hope."

The ham-hams exchanged nervous glances as her weighted words collapsed on their shoulders. Joy made it sound like they were a group of super-hams or something! How would she react once they found out they were just a bunch of ordinary ham-hams, save Siren, who just happened to be part of the Legend of Fate and they had simply been caught up in it all? They weren't even sure they could replicate their heroics at Hamwall!

"Erm..." Dexter spoke up. "We're not exactly heroes by _trade_, you see..."

"The whole episode at Hamwall really wiped us out!" Boss admitted, scratching his left ear idly. "That was probably the most heroic thing we've ever done, and we didn't even know what was going on until we got there. Before that, we were just a bunch of regular hams, meeting at the Clubhouse each day for tea, seeds, and a few games."

"Well, I've often heard that heroes such as yourselves are quite modest...really, there is no need to deny your abilities," Joy assured them.

"It's not modesty, baby!" Stan piped up, winking at Joy. "While I myself am _quite _a stud, we're not exactly high-quality heros, if you catch my drift!"

"Yeah...Hamwall was kind of a one time thing," Panda added hesitantly, not wanting to hurt the pleading Joy's feelings. "And really...we didn't _do_ much. Siren and Hamtaro are the ones who did most of the work. The rest was just, well...beyond our control." How could he explain that all they had to do against Spyke was focus their friendship, and the battle had been won? It had more or less been a fluke.

Joy then set her sights on Siren, who flinched under her gaze, knowing full well what Joy was going to say. She knew she shouldn't have revealed her identity..."You are the Guardian of all Hamsterkind, correct?" The Protector of Slumber asked the young hamster eagerly, eyes still sparkling with an undying hope. "Then you, of all hams, must lend us the paw we need! It is your duty to help all hamsters in need, is it not?"

Siren looked torn, but she could never deny the duty that had been placed on her by powers unseen. Squirming on her stool, and unable to raise her hazy azure eyes to meet Joy's pleading amber, she replied in a pained voice, "Technically...yes. But if this Steel hamster can control sleep, even _I_ won't be any match for him. The Guardian needs sleep just as much as I do."

Joy was about to rebuke, but she had a change of heart when she looked around the room, and saw the worried, reluctant looks on the weary faces of the brave heroes she had held such high faith in. None of them looked very willing to answer her plea; not even the Chosen One, Siren! Joy could easily sense their hesitance, and was confused, as well as bewildered. Princess Hamorette had been counting on these hamsters to help them! They had taken out an evil hamster before, so what was so different this time around? If they refused, and it looked as if they were going to, Steel would prevail and sleep for hamsters everywhere would be plunged into an eternal nightmare. Dreamland, as well as several other hamster kingdoms, would be surrendered to his corrupt paws.

"Please, noble ham-hams..." Joy poured her heart and soul into one last glimmer of a chance. "If Steel gets away with this, the repercussions will be dire. He aims to gain control of Dreamland and any other hamster kingdom he can get his filthy paws on! If he were to succeed, each night will be filled with nightmares! Some even worse than the one you experienced last night!"

The ham-hams watched Joy carefully, a bit of their reluctance melting away. Clearly, Joy was counting on them, and they hated to disappoint fellow ham-hams; especially ones in such dire need. Seeing the slight shift in their demeanor, Joy hopped off the chair and placed her good paw on the table, leaning forward, as if hoping that would help convey the severity of the situation. This was her last shot, and she had to make it a good one.

"Sleep is a valuable thing, and so long as Steel controls it, it will _never _be peaceful again. He has my _hamigo _imprisoned, and she has hams who care and are worried about her back in Dreamland. I can't do this alone! I _need_ you. All of _Dreamland _needs you!"

There was another long, thick silence. This time, her words seemed to have more of an effect, as the ham-hams began to murmur quietly amongst themselves, weighing their options. But it was Hamtaro, their valiant leader, who stepped forward with an answer. However, instead of speaking to Joy, he climbed up on Boss's armchair and stood looking out over all of his friends, a look of defiance playing across his face. All eyes turned to him, some surprised, others expectant.

"What are we _doing_, ham-hams?" He asked them, voice resonant and somewhat incredulous. "A fellow ham-ham has come to ask for our help! She traveled _hundreds _of miles - "

"Well, only a few miles, actually..."

" - from Dreamland just to come and see us! And we're turning her _down_? A ham in need is a hammo indeed, I always say! We may not be heroes _exactly_, but I know that true ham-hams never refuse to help a new friend in trouble! And it sounds like Joy really needs our help. We may not think we can do much, but every little bit helps! We've saved the world before, and I'm sure we can do it again if we try hard enough! Am I right, ham-hams?"

His words sunk in slowly, but seemed to be effective. After a thoughtful pause, Stan stood up so suddenly his stool was sent crashing backward with the force of his motion. "The dude's totally right!" The tiger-striped flirt agreed, bobbing his head to further his point. "This pretty little hamgirl needs our help, and as long as there's a beautiful princess involved, you can totally count me in!"

"Me too!" Panda raised his paw. "But not for..you know...the princess. I just want to help!"

Boss shook his head in disbelief, slapping an incredulous paw to his forehead. "I can't believe we almost refused! This lack of sleep must be getting to our heads guys, because ham-hams never leave a fellow ham-ham hanging! I'm in! This Steel character is going _down_!" He pumped a fist in the air and struck a heroic pose.

"I think visiting a place as legendary as Dreamland would be an amazing educational experience!" Maxwell marveled, eyes agleam with the possibilities. "And, of course, if we can help make our sleep peaceful again it is a journey I'm willing to make."

"Count me in!"

"Me too!"

"A land in ze clouds? Zat ees somezing I would very much like to zee!"

"And I'm bound by some unseen law to help any hamster in need, so yeah, I kind of _have _to..."

"Dreamland, here we come!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

As the cries of agreement filled the Clubhouse, Joy's spirits were lifted immensely, and the tears in her eyes changed to tears of her namesake. "Does this mean we have your support, brave ham-hams?" She asked hopefully.

"You bet!" Hamtaro bobbed his head eccentrically, beaming. "True ham-hams are always up for a new adventure!"

Joy reminded him warningly, "Dreamland is a magical place, noble hams, but this mission won't be all fun and games. While Princess Hamorette will make sure you are accommodated and get to look around our homeland during your stay, stopping Steel is the top priority, and cannot be taken lightly."

Hamtaro considered that, but his optimism was not diminished as he altered his previous statement, "Well, _really _true ham-hams are always up for a new adventure with some danger on the side, right ham-hams?"

"Yep-P!" The rest of the ham-hams chorused, and the matter was apparently closed.

"We _did_ beat that Spyke feller..." Howdy admitted.

"And he was _evil_!" Cappy recalled with a shudder. "So another evil hamster will be old news!"

Joy was overjoyed. Bowing deeply with gratitude, she said, voice thick with emotion, "Thank-Q, from the bottom of my heart, brave heroes. And I'm sure Princess Hamorette will say the same once she meets you. With all of you lending a paw, I know we will beat Steel and restore sleep to it's natural balance! And, once victory is claimed, we will be eternally in your debt. I doubt we can ever thank you all enough!"

"Is this Princess _gorgeous_?" Stan questioned innocently.

Joy replied hesitantly, somewhat confused, "Erm...well, several hamsters from all the great hamster kingdoms of the world have asked for her paw in marriage, not to mention several admirers from within Dreamland itself, though she turned them all away. Many a love song has been written in her honor, as well, not to _mention _poetry...."

Stan grinned mischievously, flirtatious twinkle in his eye as he rubbed his paws eagerly together. "That's _all_ the thanks I need, Joy-sweetie!" He replied smugly. Sandy, disgusted, barked, making her twin flinch, "Touch one fur on that princess and you'll like, _regret it_, Stan!"

"And is there delicious food?" Oxnard asked eagerly.

Joy grinned. "Heaps. Some delicacies that are _only_ found in Dreamland are quite delectable, in my opinion."

That was all Oxnard needed to hear to be fully on board. "All right, now I'm totally convinced! When are we leaving? Those delicacies aren't going to eat themselves!" He asked, raring to be on the way to delicious foreign food from the land in the clouds.

"Well..." Joy answered, also eager to return to Dreamland with the delightful news and reinforcements in tow. "The journey is a couple hours, at the least, when using a carrier dove. That's how we travel in Dreamland, you see. If we leave now, we will arrive between noon and one o'clock, I expect, as long as the wind is on our side and the skies are clear, and the sooner we reach Dreamland, the better! Steel is growing stronger with each second. It may be daytime here, but elsewhere in the world, hamsters are still sleeping!"

"Then there's no time to waste!" Boss declared bravely, chest puffed out. "Let's go to Dreamland, ham-hams!"

"Alright! We'll leave now, give that Steel guy a piece of our minds, look around Dreamland, and then be home in time for me to hear about Laura's first day of school!" Hamtaro remarked cheerfully. "Let's get a move on, ham-hams! A new adventure awaits!"

Joy's face darkened at these words, and, once they saw her reaction, more chills wound their way up the ham-hams' spines. Something was clearly wrong, and the Clubhouse fell eerily silent, the ham-hams' good cheer forgotten. With a nervous edge to her voice and paws slightly fidgety, Joy told them, her amber eyes both apologetic and uneasy, "I apologize if I misled you, ham-hams, but I fear that this journey will take somewhat..._longer _than you anticipate."

While Maxwell, Dexter, Siren, Boss, and a few others picked up on what Joy meant straight away, Hamtaro remained blissfully unaware of what she had been trying to convey. "Oh...will we be back by 8:06, then? That seems to be a recurring time for us...we could make that work too!"

"Yeah, we're used to that!" Cappy added brightly.

Joy shook her head, and Hamtaro's face fell. With sad eyes, Joy faced them all and continued regretfully, "I'm afraid I didn't realize that you ham-hams would be on a time limit. You see, getting to Dreamland is easy enough, but Steel is a tricky hamster, and it's going to take a while for us to defeat him if he utilizes all of the power in his paws. If you factor in planning and gathering the right team of knights to accompany us..."

Her next words made them freeze. "...This mission will take a couple of days at the _least_."

* * *

After a long hour in homeroom, during which the bored-looking teacher outlined the rules, proper behavior, and how to correctly use lockers, the bell finally rang and Laura's first day as a seventh grader officially began. She scooped up her books and shoved them into her backpack, hurrying, although her class was just a few doors down the hall. Mika, Gina, and Reese had already departed, as well as half the class, but Laura had been one of the few students in the room who actually took the time to copy the rules down in her planner, and hadn't been finished by the time the bell sounded.

As she went to place her new pencils back into her bag, they slipped from her grasp and landed with a dull thud on the linoleum. She was about to bend down and retrieve them, but someone else beat her to it.

"Hey, Laura, how about we walk to Science class together?"

Travis stood waiting by her desk, already packed up and ready to go, holding her pack of pencils for her to take. The request was cordial and friendly, and his expression serene. Laura found her cheeks burning red again as she took the pencils with mumbled thanks, and inwardly cursed herself for it, sure she looked like the fool she felt like. "_Calm down Laura...It's just Travis, and you're going to the same place anyway..._" She tried to soothe her nerves, replying out loud and as cheerfully as possible, "Sure, sounds great!"

"Great!" Travis smiled warmly as they headed for the door, June and Lance having left a few seconds earlier for their own classes. "Our teacher is the soccer coach, so I think this class will be pretty hard. He always drills us in practice, anyway."

"Aw..." Laura crinkled her nose as they entered the hallway, filled with streaming students and hawk-eyed teachers, searching for rule-breakers. "I'm not very good at science..."

Travis laughed as they strolled side-by-side toward room 218. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You've been getting better grades than me since the fifth grade, anyway."

Laura's cheeks turned pink again, though they had already been flushed when Travis accidentally bumped her shoulder to avoid another student. She had been around Travis plenty of times, and, even though she had convinced herself she didn't see him as her crush any longer, she still couldn't help but feel nervous and jittery being so close to him. It wasn't a bad feeling, but it did add to the slowly-consuming feeling of dread that was slowly dawning over her. Like a really terrible sense of deja vu...

At first Laura had been lost in thought and keeping her gaze on the tiled floor in front of her, but, after almost running into a particularly large eighth grader and earning a chuckle from her companion, Laura thought it best to keep her eyes ahead. When she looked up, she saw another familiar face and a shock of orange hair through the crowd, and instantly, relief swept over her like a wave. He was standing by the stairwell, waiting against the wall for the rush of students to die down before heading to the lower floor.

Before she could control herself, Laura shouted, "Hey, Roberto!"

His head snapped up at the sound of his name and he looked around the swarms of students, finally settling his gaze on a frantically waving Laura and the boy beside her. At first, he looked somewhat stunned, but then his attitude changed completely. He didn't smirk or wave back, as Laura would have expected from him, but his narrowed brown eyes flickered from Laura, then to Travis, and back and forth, like he was watching ping-pong. Lips pressed tightly into a line, Roberto turned on his heel and, deciding against the more comfortable alternative of waiting, rudely shoved his way into the throng of students heading down the stairs, disappearing without so much as a hello or a return wave.

Laura was surprised, and a little but confused by his actions. She and Roberto had been on much better terms lately than they had been in the past, becoming good friends over the summer, but now he was, for some reason, acting like the Roberto of old. Suddenly, she felt a small burst of anger and frowned indignantly. "Well, how do you like that!" Laura growled lowly, hands on her hips. "Can't even give me a decent hello! What a jerk!" Despite this, as she recalled the miffed expression on his face, she couldn't help but feel her heart sink a little. They had been making such good progress...

"There's our class Laura," Travis, ignoring the Roberto issue completely, grabbed Laura's arm and pulled her over to the other side of the hallway, where an open door beckoned.

Thankfully, he let go of her arm before they actually entered the classroom, full of beakers, plants, and other lab equipment that looked very dangerous. The teacher, Travis's soccer coach, was standing at the lab desk in the front, preparing for his first lesson. The desks were two-person lab tables, and nearly all of them were occupied already. Dawdling in the hallway and in homeroom had taken longer than Laura had thought.

Kana was already seated alone near the back, and, once she saw Laura enter, motioned frantically for her best friend to come and take the vacant seat beside her. "There's Kana, I'd better get back there before someone steals my seat!" She tossed a quick smile at Travis before scurrying to the back of the room and joining her best friend, leaving him alone by the door.

"What took you so long?" Kana hissed as Laura sat down next to her. "Your homeroom is right down the hall! I was worried I would have to sit beside someone I don't know!" A fearful gleam shone in her eyes, though her expression was one of relief.

"Sorry..." Laura apologized. "I had a bit of trouble packing up in homeroom, and then I was walking with Travis when we saw Roberto, and he totally blew me off!" Remembering made her even angrier, though her heart cringed slightly. "It was really...strange. And rude, but then again, that's Roberto for you..."

Kana frowned as the late bell sounded, making a few jittery students in the front jump. "Weird. I thought you two were getting along better since Mika's party a few weeks ago."

"So did I..." Laura sighed, and, as the teacher clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention, she and Kana faced the front of the class.

"Welcome to the world of seventh grade Science, young ones! My name is Mr. Kazuma, but you can call me Coach Kaz. I will be your teacher this year, and I'm also the boys soccer coach!" The teacher, a jovial-looking man in his late-thirties, declared, spreading his arms out wide. "It's going to be a fun year, I assure you. Well, _after_ today. First, we have those annoying 'get to know you' games and stuff the principal makes us do year after year..."

At this, there were several groans, Coach Kaz included. "I know, I know...but it _must_ be done! Now, I have a paper for every - "

He trailed off and looked over the door, where something had caught his interest. Laura followed his gaze and was surprised to see that Travis was _still _standing in the doorway where she had left him, his eyes steely and his face like stone. Coach Kaz frowned, and said, "Well, Travis, if you'd like to sit down, that would be nice. Class began thirty-seconds ago."

Travis didn't budge. His eyes were locked on a table near the windows, and, only when Laura looked over to see what it was did she understand his behavior.

The only available seat in the room was next to Reese, of all people, who was staring rigidly forward with his glacial grey eyes, refusing to return Travis's glare. He was like a statue, unmoving and emotionless. Laura had failed to notice the stoic boy at first, but now, his presence was undeniable, and the heated anger radiated from Travis and the coolness exuding from Reese clashed, and made the entire room uneasy. "I sense trouble ahead..." Kana murmured worriedly under her breath. Laura silently agreed, but couldn't look away, much like the rest of the class.

Coach Kaz also followed Travis's eyes, but, once he assessed the situation, he let out another loud groan, clearly agitated. Laura realized instantly that he also must know about the feud between the two star soccer players, being that he saw them each day in practice. And he looked equally as annoyed by it as Roberto and some of the other guys had for the past couple of months.

"Look, guys!" He growled lowly, grabbing Travis by the shoulder and leading him over to the empty seat by a stiff-looking Reese. "I really don't _care _about this little tiff between you two, I _really _don't...just sit here and learn stuff for forty-five minutes a day, okay?"

It still took Travis a good several seconds to actually sit down, dropping his bag on the floor carelessly and reluctantly perching himself on the stool beside his rival. As soon as he was seated, he scooted his stool as far away from Reese as it would go, while still allowing him table space. Begrudgingly, he pulled out a pencil and sat staring at the black tabletop, falling moodily silent. Reese hadn't even moved, and Laura couldn't help admiring his restraint. Travis looked about ready to lunge across the space between them and strangle the blonde.

Coach Kaz began speaking again after that, but his words were just a dull hum in Laura's ears as she stared at the backs of Travis and Reese. They were on the opposite side of the room from her, closer to the front, but still, she swore that she could _feel_ the hostile animosity, more bitter than ever, sparking between them like a fire that could not be doused.

"Take a good look at the person you're sitting beside...because they will be your work partner for the entire year!"

The announcement only made things worse. Travis's narrowed blue met Reese's icy grey and the raging antipathy rolling off of them grew even more intense. The hate between them was almost tangible, and the pair of girls sitting in front of them squirmed uneasily in their seats, horribly aware of the silently sparring pair behind them. Suddenly, as her brow furrowed with concern and her stomach gave another painful lurch, Laura had a feeling that there would be several broken beakers, and maybe a few broken noses, in the future of this class...

* * *

"Nikolai! Bring me some food! Enough for two!"

The furry little hamster cringed as Steel's bellowing voice wafted down to him from the throne room as he sat fiddling with his hat in the foyer. Eager to please his master, the shaggy hench-ham scurried into the long-unused kitchen to gather some of the acorns, seeds, and berries he had gathered for their stay in the castle. Arms laden with enough food for a couple of hamsters, he scrambled up the stairs, nearly toppling over under the weight of the plates, which were almost as big as him.

A chill slithered up his spine as he entered the throne room, still lit with only a couple of small, barely effective candles, though daylight now filtered in. Steel was perched, humming softly, on his golden throne, gazing out at the bright blue morning beyond the various windowpanes. Beside him Fury stood, slightly hunched, her eyes still listless and lifeless. As Nikolai set the plates of food down carefully on the table set up in the corner, he avoided looking at the zombified Protector of Slumber, Staff of Nightmares hanging limply in one paw as she stooped. The void expression on her face and the lightless emptiness in her stone-colored eyes made his fur stand on end every time he glanced her way.

After setting the food down, Nikolai's stomach growled. Mouth watering, he reached for a deliciously ripe strawberry, only to have his paw swatted away by Steel, who had come up behind him, azure eyes annoyed. Nikolai jumped in surprise, rubbing his stinging paw.

"That food is not for _you_, Nikolai!" Steel snapped, eyes flashing. "This food is for _me_ and Fury."

Nikolai's stomach gurgled again, but he knew better than to defy Steel. While his master took time off from sleep-conquering to eat a few acorns, Nikolai picked up the strawberry and hauled it carefully over to Fury, who had not moved once. Her expression remained remote as Nikolai stood nervously before her, holding out the large strawberry for her to take. She didn't move.

Steel caught sight of this as he downed a hazelnut, and quickly barked in Fury's direction, waving the scepter containing the Stone of Slumber that never left his paw, "Eat!"

Before Nikolai knew it, Fury had sank her teeth right into the strawberry, narrowly missing his paws. Letting out a wheezy squeal, Nikolai skittered away from the brainwashed hamster, as she decisively and mindlessly chewed the fruit. Something about the way the red juice clung to her white teeth made Nikolai's shaggy fur stand on end.

"M-master..." Nikolai stuttered, shuffling up to stand by Steel. "Can't...Can't she eat by herself?"

Steel chuckled and shook his head. "Sleep is a powerful thing, Nikolai. Fury, right now, is in a dream-like, sleep-walking state. I can control all of her actions so long as the Stone is in my possession. And anyone else I can use the Stone of Slumber directly on will be in my power the same way, which is how I will gain control of the great hamster kingdoms. Then, no one will dare defy me, the hamster of their nightmares!"

Nikolai shuddered to think of more brainwashed hamsters, all of them bigger and stronger than him, most likely. Fury was scary _enough _for him. He was just glad he had left his home in Dreamland and followed Steel semi-willingly, or else he would be going through his duties mindlessly as well. It was starting to look like he had chosen the correct side after all.

Once Steel had finished eating, he returned to his royal perch, and sank into the velvet cushions with a contended sigh. However, his relaxation was short-lived, as he sat bolt-upright, scepter glowing faintly red in his sturdy paw. "More hamsters are falling asleep as we speak. They cannot be allowed to slumber in peace. Fury!" He commanded.

The will-less hamster's back became instantly rigid, and her face became more alert, though the eyes were still lightless and hollow. She clenched the Staff of Nightmares tightly in her paws, and it too, began to glow a sinister crimson. Steel grinned at her and crooned, "Show them just how _much_ they should fear me, Fury. Give them the nightmare to end all nightmares!"

Monotonously, Fury responded, "Yes, Master."

She extended the paw with the Staff of Nightmares, and the windows across the room flew open with a clatter, startling poor Nikolai, who cowered under the food table. The moon sitting atop the Staff of Nightmares began to shine a brilliant shade of scarlet, and shot a beam of the blood-colored light out into the brilliant blue sky, where it rocketed across the heavens and into the minds of any hamster asleep at that time. Soon, their peaceful sleep would be filled with hungry beasts, a laughing Steel, and more fear than real life could ever provide.

* * *

The news fell like yet another bombshell on the exhausted, overwhelmed ham-hams. "_Days_?" Hamtaro's jaw fell open in astonishment. "But...I can't go away for _days_! Laura will miss me if I'm gone that long, and I don't want her to worry!"

"Kana too!" Oxnard added meekly.

"And I do not like to zink how Maria will react to zeeing my cage empty for zo long!" Bijou fretted, nervously adjusting one of her bright blue ribbons. "Ze poor girl will notice zat I'm gone for sure!"

Boss and Siren exchanged a perplexed glance. They were the only two of the ham-hams who didn't have to worry about being gone from home for a while, as they lived alone, Siren in an oak tree by the river and Boss in the Clubhouse. Panda, also, had no reason to fear. Mimi knew that he went out to see the ham-hams daily, and he was sure she would understand if he happened to disappear for a couple of days, and she would have a nice, full bowl of seeds waiting for him upon his return. Everyone else, however, had owners they were concerned for, owners who would panic if their hamsters vanished for more than a few minutes.

"Kip and Sue will probably call the police!" Cappy exclaimed, wide-eyed. "And I remember how sad they were last time I was away for a day or two. I don't ever want to make them that sad again!" His ears drooped low.

"And what about June and Kylie?" Pashmina asked, Penelope squeaking quietly in agreement. "Not only will they be sad if we aren't in our cages when they get back from school, but they'll talk to each other about it. Two hamsters going missing is pretty strange, don't you think? Not to mention that they're also friends with Laura and Kana. Two hamsters missing is one thing, but _four_, all on the same day?"

"And Laura's like, friends with Hilary too! And Hilary will totally tell Noel if I go missing, and Stan will like, be gone too!" Sandy and Stan glanced at each other, mirroring each other's concern.

"And Laura ees friends with Maria as well!"

Maxwell nodded, eyes glazed over with thought. "It will be like a chain reaction..." He deduced, scratching his chin. "One owner realizes his or her hamster is gone, and, soon enough, _all_ of the owners know. While I can't say that my owner will be aware of the other missing hamsters, my guess is the other owners might suspect something, with so many hamsters gone. Although, I highly doubt they will be able to figure out where we really are."

"They might begin to 'spect that someone's stealin' hams! And I ain't talkin' pigs, yeh get it? _Hams_? Har har!" Howdy looked around, waiting for someone to laugh, but nobody even cracked a smile, not even Joy. He hung his head and grumbled, "Fine. See if I ever try and cheer y'all up again..."

Hearing this talk made Joy nervous. Only a moment ago, she had been thrilled that the ham-hams were willing to lend Dreamland their aid, but now it sounded like they were having second thoughts. She wanted to break in and repeat how important their support was and what it could mean for the rally against Steel, but she was too anxious to speak, worried to hear that they might turn her down after all, despite the fact that a fellow ham-ham was in need. She hadn't even begun to think that the brave ham-hams, heroes at Hamwall, could be domestic hamsters, with owners to keep in mind.

Hamtaro had closed his eyes as the other ham-hams chattered on about the potential troubles that could arise with leaving their owners. He recalled the terrible nightmare, and how it had affected him and his friends so badly. Then, he tried to imagine spending every night, tossing and turning in his woodchips, suffering through the same nightmare again and again...it wasn't something he liked to picture. And to think that hamsters all over the world would be suffering in the same way...

"I think..." He murmured, voice so quiet that it was almost inaudible and all of his friends had to prick their ears forward to hear him. "I think that we _have_ to go."

"Heke? But what about Kana?" Oxnard asked, still worrying.

Hamtaro faced his friends solemnly, eyes shining with several different, mixed emotions. "Laura is really important to me, and I hate to make her unhappy in any way. But just _think_ about it ham-hams! If we don't help out, we'll never sleep peacefully again! No hamster in the world will! Think of what's at stake! So do we leave for just a little while and lend a paw, or stay and have to have nightmares every night? It's only a couple days, and we'll be back with our owners before they miss us too much!"

Some of the ham-hams still seemed rather reluctant; unwilling to be onboard knowing that it would only cause their owners pain. One, however, had a change in heart.

"Hamtaro ees right!"

Bijou stood up proudly by her stool, surprised eyes flickering onto her immediately. A look of defiance shone in her cerulean eyes, and she went on, "Zis hamster ees evil, perhaps even more evil zan Spyke was! I love Maria and feel terrible about making 'er sad, but I am certain she would understand why I left, eef only I could zpeak to 'er! She would _want _me to lend a 'elping paw if it would 'elp bring ze 'amster world to balance!"

Hamtaro was astonished that the normally soft-spoken Bijou had so proudly supported him, and he stared at her determined snow-white face in shock. But the shock soon dissolved into happiness and gratitude, and he and Bijou shared a thankful, understanding smile that made both of their hearts beat a tad faster.

That final statement seemed to be the trigger to erase all of the doubt. "Oh, I'll miss June but this is _really_, really important!" Pashmina agreed, indecision gone. "I can't say no! I want to help the very best I can!"

"Ookwee, ookwee!"

"Ah, our store's bin mighty busy this week..." Howdy relented, scratching his head. "I don' reckon I'll be missed all that much. 'Sides, we gots us a nightmare-givin' ham ter stop, 'fore things really get outter paw!"

"Again, I have no choice..." Siren sighed, though she wore a small smile. "I just hope we can live up to expectations. I have a bad feeling that this time around, things are going to be harder than they were at Hamwall, but if we _hamteam _I'm sure we stand a good chance of beating this Steel guy!" Her Guardian instincts were in full swing, now, though she still felt both apprehensive and a bit worried about the situation.

"Kip and Sue will just have to wait patiently for me to come home!" Cappy declared, pumping a fist, a clear imitation of his role model, Boss. "I wanna show this Steel guy a piece of his own medicine!"

"I'm willing to sacrifice a couple of days in my cage if it's for the good of the hamster world!" Maxwell decided, before casting his gaze onto those who ad not declared their intent yet. "All in favor?" He asked, raising his paw high in the air.

Each ham-ham raised their paws as well, the brilliant smiles shining on their faces, as always. A sense of thrilled excitement overtook them, tough nerves tugged lightly at their stomachs. They had just gotten finished wit one adventure, and were now prearing to go off an a whole new one, perhaps even more harrowing than the last. But that was a risk they were willing to take. Hamwall had shown them a thing or two about what teamwork and unity could do, and if they aligned with the Dreamland hamsters, they were confident that bringing this Steel guy down may even prove to be less of a challenge than Joy anticipated.

"Then it's settled, ham-hams!" Hamtaro declared, voice ringing with a sense of finality. "It's off to Dreamland! Hip hip - "

"Hamha!" Everybody chorused.

Joy breathed a deep sigh of relief, ecstatic. She couldn't wait to see the look on Princess Hamorette's face when she showed up with the Guardian and the other brave ham-ham in tow. She had gotten the reinforcements they so desperately needed, and now felt more assured than ever that they stood a fighting chance against Steel and his nightmarish abilities. Now, she would believe that dreams could come back, and Fury would be rescued.

"I know that I am asking great deal from you, and we have little to offer you in return for your services. But, if I can just begin to repay you, I think we can halt this trip until tomorrow. I would like to give those with owners some time to say goodbye, if that will be of any help..." She trailed off, reconsidering. "Of course, that means that you will all suffer from the nightmare again tonight, and I know you don't want to. I can give hamsters in a small area relief with the Staff of Dreams, but only if they're all in one place, or else Steel's power will overwhelm mine. I feel horrible asking you to just pick up and leave your lives behind so suddenly."

The ham-hams were appreciative, but also reluctant to take her up on that offer. They didn't want to endure that awful dream for one more night. "Well..." Boss muttered, eyes clouding over. "How about we all meet back here at midnight? Just stay awake until then. All of your owners should be asleep by that time, so you can all sleep over here and Joy can keep the nightmare away from us for the night. We can leave first thing in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan," Panda agreed. "We could all use a good night's sleep before going on this mission anyway. Otherwise, I don't think we'll be much help."

"Just one question..." Dexter said, looking to Joy expectantly. "Exactly _how_ are all of us going to get to Dreamland if it's floating around in the clouds? You came here by dove, but I'm afraid we rely on our paws or other flight-less means to get places, and that dove won't hold all of us."

Joy hadn't thought of that. She, and Princess Hamorette, had assumed that such amazing heroes would have their own flashy forms of transportation; perhaps a hawk, or a falcon. The possibility of bringing a few more carrier doves hadn't even crossed her mind. While the ham-hams eagerly awated to hear what form of luxurious air-travel Joy had set them up with, said Protector of Slumber gigged nervously and replied,

"...Good question."

* * *

For Laura, the morning zipped by, though it was full of it's own awkward moments. She managed to survive Science, History, English (1), and Math with only small incidents, none of them relating to her directly, but concerning her friends. And she could see the small tear separating her friends spreading dangerously close to ripping totally in half.

During History, June had been surly and grumbled about her 'ex-friends' the entire period, with Travis glaring out the window in front of her, and English she had been with Gina and Josh, not hearing their side of the story, but hearing instead how absolutely stubborn June was being. Luckily, she had Math to be with Kana, but had forgotten that she also had that class with Mika and Travis. The female teacher, blissfully unaware of the raging awkwardness, luckily placed the exes on opposite sides of the room, but Kana and Laura were separated as well. The only bright spots in the seating arrangement were that Travis had the chatterbox Kory beside him for distraction, and Kana had Lance, her crush, while Laura sat beside a quiet, studious Mika, who was apparently focused on math and not the raven-haired boy on the other side of the room.

Lunch came, and Laura and Kana took their packed lunches to eat outside in the fresh air. With every student eating at the same time, the courtyard of the school was open, as well as the sporting fields if people wanted to eat or exercise there. The pair fortunately located a vacant bench by the soccer fields, and sat down together to discuss the first half of their day.

"You could cut the tension in math class with a knife!" Kana remarked with a sigh as she fished a sandwich out of her lunchbag. "I could_ feel_ Travis's glare from behind me."

"Mika seemed fine all period," Laura confessed, still unsure of what she should think about the quiet girl who had broken her friend's heart. "But Travis sits so far away she might not have noticed him as much."

"What a situation..." Kana muttered sadly. "And everyone else got sucked into it by picking sides. Now June won't talk to Gina, Mika or Josh, Lance and Travis won't talk to Josh, Mika, Gina, or Reese...it's so confusing. I knew Junior High was a big step up from Elementary School, but I seriously wasn't expecting this much drama. This is high-school level!"

Laura, mouth full of her own sandwich silently agreed. Once she swallowed, she chipped in, "I just hope they're not going to make us choose sides. I want to stay friends with everybody, and I'm sure there are parts of the story that no one's heard yet."

"Don't you agree with June, though?" Kana asked, mildly surprised. "I mean...the whole story about how Mika and Reese got together is a bit suspicious, even if we don't know all the details."

Laura thought about it, but shrugged. "I really can't say. I like to think the best of all my friends, but when they tell me all sorts of different things I don't know who to believe. June was ranting about Gina and Mika in History, but Gina did the same in English to June."

"Kylie, Kory and I talked about it in History, while Gina was talking to Mika and Reese up front. They're pretty annoyed with June, actually. Kylie says that she needs to get over it and stop complaining, and Kory...well, he always agrees with Kylie. Kylie still talks with Gina when June isn't around, and Kory still hangs out with Josh and Reese sometimes. Apparently, it was June who got so adamant about people choosing sides, and everyone else just went from there."

"Kana! Laura!"

The pair looked up to see Gina, sitting a few feet away on the grass by the soccer fields, waving at them invitingly. Josh sat loyally at her side, devouring the first of his two slices of leftover pizza, while a couple of other soccer guys Laura didn't know chatted with him between bites of their lunches. Mika and Reese, calmly talking and eating side-by-side, completed the cozy circle. Kana waved in return.

Gina excused herself from the group and trotted over to the two friends, smiling warmly. "Hi guys! How do you like Junior High so far?" She asked, voice friendly and even, acting like the normal, slightly bossy Gina she had always been.

"It's been...alright." Laura replied, somewhat tentatively. She liked her teachers, and how her classes were spaced so she got to all of them on time, but the tension and the awkwardness between her divided friends she could have done without. Kana nodded in agreement with Laura.

Gina motioned to where her little group was enjoying the free hour of lunch. "If you guys like, you can join us. We might get a game of soccer going later if Reese gets off his _butt_..." Here, she raised her voice and glared over at Reese, who looked up for a split second before deciding to ignore the redhead. "...and goes to get the soccer ball in his locker. Boys versus girls! We need a couple more to have a fair game...Mika and I can only do so much alone."

Laura thought it sounded like fun, and was about to ask Kana if she wanted to when June's loud, commanding voice sounded over the idle chatter surrounding them, "Kana! Laura! What are you _doing_?"

The girls whirled around to see June standing just behind their bench, hands on her hips and eyebrows arched. Her lips were pressed into a thin white line, and she didn't appear pleased to see the three of them together. Kylie, Kory, and Lance stood a little ways off from June, watching the scene with wide eyes and uncomfortable expressions, as were several other bystanders. Gina, upon seeing her former friend, exhaled huffily and rolled her eyes, waiting for the feuding to commence.

"What do you mean?" Kana, startled by the anger in June's voice, asked shakily, embarrassed as several eyes found their way to the scene.

June scowled, and jerked her thumb at Gina, who shot her a frosty glare. Through gritted teeth, she demanded, "What I _mean_ is why are you talking to _her_? She's the enemy! She betrayed my trust, and you're still talking to her?"

Gina rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Quit the melodrama, June. We're not in primary school anymore. Feelings are going to be hurt, but you just have to move _on_ sometimes!" Her normally toned-down haughtiness emerged viciously.

Kana and Laura, caught between the two arguing girls, looked from June's furious face to Gina's impassive one with nervous expressions, their stomachs tightening. They could feel the animosity brewing between the two like a small tempest, but ready to turn full-blown hurricane at any second. Josh, sensing that his girlfriend was in trouble, ran over to her like a shot, while Kylie reluctantly came in to back June up. Lance and Kory looked on from one camp, while Reese and Mika stared from the other.

"Get _over_ it?" June shouted shrilly, garnering more attention from onlookers. "Real nice coming from someone who's supposed to be one of my best friends! But if you'd rather support _that_ - " She flung an arm out in Mika and Reese's direction, making the former flinch and the latter frown slightly, " - than be a good friend to me I can see you were never really _nice _at all."

"Get over it and get over _yourself_, June. The world doesn't revolve around you!"

"I'm not the only one who got hurt! Remember _Travis_?" June's eyes narrowed and she directed her rage in Josh's startled direction. "He was supposed to be one of your good friends, Josh, and you _also_ had a part in hurting his feelings, along with your big mouth girlfriend here!"

"Shut it, June!" Josh snapped, uncharacteristic of his usual, serene nature. "We had our reasons, okay? This is really getting old, you know. I'm sick and tired about hearing how mad you are, when I could really care less."

"That goes both ways!" June countered. "I see both of you roll your eyes at me all the time, and I'm sick and tired of _that_!"

Suddenly, Gina turned her cool green gaze onto the two girls practically shrinking into the bench. Scoffing at June, she told them, tone kinder now, "You two don't have to keep taking this garbage from June. I bet all she's telling you about all of this is just lies. Come and eat lunch with us, where we can have normal conversations that aren't _about_ anybody or their problems."

June also focused her livid hazel eyes onto her two good friends. "Don't listen to her, guys! She's lying to you! She's trying to get you onto _their _side, but she'll just betray you in the end!"

Laura and Kana exchanged worried, somewhat frightened glances as Gina and June's imploring stares bored into them. The fight was intensifying, and they could feel it heating up. It wouldn't be long before their once close, comfortable group of friends would be split straight down the middle, ripped in half, and Laura didn't want to imagine picking between them. She had known June and Kylie longer, but Gina seemed to be less bitter...either way, only more and more feelings would get hurt.

Sensing their reluctance, June added threateningly, voice scathing, "If you pick _her_ side, then I'll have no choice but to consider you guys my enemies too. I hate to do it, but that's the way things have to be!"

"Things don't _have_ to be that way!" Gina rebuked. She then told Laura and Kana in a friendly voice, green eyes softening, "Look, I don't want you two to get dragged into this mess. I don't want to force you to pick sides, and if you go with June, my feelings won't be hurt. I won't hold it against you. We totally get it if you want to avoid the drama...though it might be better to come with us if you _do_..."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, Gina!" June sneered. "I've known Kana and Laura longer than _you_. They're going to pick my side because they _agree_ with me, not just because you said you don't care!"

Laura felt her heart sink. She didn't know which side to believe; which to go with. A tiny voice, nagging at the back of her head, told them that _both _of the girls were wrong, but that little inner-monologue was of little help, as that did nothing to solve the siding problem. If she didn't pick one, her friends might think less of her. And did Gina, bossy, overconfident Gina, really not care if they chose to go with June? Laura didn't want to go with June if she didn't agree with her, but didn't want June to be angry with her if she went with Gina. June looked far more wrathful...

Kana, feeling the same as Laura, meekly spoke up, "Um...actually, we just kind of want to stay here and eat our lunch, if that's okay..." She hoped, by giving this noncommital response, that June and Gina would drop the matter and go their separate ways, but, alas, that was not meant to be.

"Fine!" June sniffed, plunking herself down in between Laura and Kana with a dignified crossing of her arms. "I think I'll join you guys. Real friends know how to stick together!"

Gina shrugged her shoulders, unfazed. "Fine."

"_Fine_." June had to have the last sneer.

"Fine!" Gina threw her hands up and turned sharply on her heel, grabbed Josh by the arm, and dragged him back to where the rest of their posse sat watching. As they rejoined the circle on the grass, Laura saw Mika whisper something worriedly to a silently fuming Gina, with Reese adding something in as well, though Gina and Josh both waved their hands as if it were nothing and returned to eating their lunches.

Soon, the curious stares ceased and Kylie, Kory, and Lance had come to sit on the ground by the bench, not wanting to abandon June while she was so furious and needed people to vent to. As the lunch period ticked slowly by, June ranting all the while and her supporters trying to be attentive while not showing how annoyed they were, Kana and Laura exchanged several troubled glances over their milk cartons. They hadn't officially sided with anybody yet, and they had a dreadful feeling that the matter was going to come up again. If so, they weren't so sure they would have a definitive answer.

As Laura secretly peered over her shoulder at a now cheerful looking Mika and Reese, playing rock-paper-scissors to see who would go and get the soccer ball, the felt her heart wrenched in two separate directions. Side with her newer friends, who were making less of a deal about the situation, or with her older friends, who were dwelling on it?

This was going to be a lot harder than Algebra, she knew that much.

* * *

"Balloons?"

Joy stared confusedly at the basket the ham-hams had set up in the clearing where her dove still stood loyally, allowing the female hamsters to admire it's glistening, snowy plumage. As of now, it was just a simple, green and brown woven basket, with plenty of room inside, but Panda was sprawled out in the grass beside it, making notes and scribbling on a piece of graphing paper. His eyes were focused intently on his work, and no one dared disturb him.

"You bet!" Boss replied smugly, slapping the side of the basket with one paw, as if he were a proud parent. "We got to Hamwall by tying a whole bunch of balloons onto this baby. If we did it once, we can do it again!"

Joy was a bit perplexed, as she had assumed the ham-hams would have a far more extravagant idea, but was impressed nonetheless. They were certainly a resourceful group of hamsters, making their own transportation with whatever they could find. She wasn't sure she would have been able to think of that, had she been without her dove.

Stan remembered the event, perhaps better than anyone else. "We had a lot of trouble getting the balloons here though, remember hamdudes? First we had to find some, and we were _lucky _those peeps were having a party that night, and then we had to make about twelve trips between Maxy, Boss-man and me, and man, I don't think we have that in us again. I almost floated away last time."

Siren raised a paw. "I can fly to Dreamland, and a couple of ham-hams would fit on my back, so you won't need as many balloons this time. I can also pull the basket behind me again, but it will still need something to keep it in the air."

Joy added thoughtfully, "My dove has room for at least one more hamster, other than me."

"So, that leaves ten ham-hams who will use the balloons," Maxwell calculated. "Which isn't too bad, considering we had thirteen last time. I think it's certainly feasible, so long as we can find enough balloons. Stan was right about last time; finding about two dozen balloons in one front yard was incredibly lucky."

"Isn't that new food court opening downtown tomorrow?" Dexter asked. "My owner's shop is right near there. Last I saw they were setting up for their grand opening, and they probably have a plethora of balloons there!"

"Great idea, Dex!" Hamtaro crowed. "Now we just have to get them!"

This proved to be a difficult task. Siren transformed into her Guardian form, which Joy took a few short minutes to marvel at, and flew off, staying carefully hidden among the trees, with Boss and Stan, the losers of the rock-acorn-seed game, on her back. Staying unseen in town however, was the hard part of their task. Once the park transformed into buildings and bustling streets, Siren changed back to hamster mode and the trio of ham-hams dashed on foot toward Dexter's shop, soon spotting the large, new food court set up a few places down.

There were, indeed, quite a few balloons tied to the 'Grand Opening' sign propped up out front. But there were also a good number of people around, though only a few paused to read the sign - it had been in place for weeks, and only now had balloons on it. Stealthily, Boss led Stan so they were directly under the sign, while Siren sat in wait behind the corner of the shop, in the alleyway, ready to transform once Boss and Stan executed their plan.

The two ham-hams under the sign threw their weight against the wood, and it gave, sending the sign toppling forward. And, luckily, the balloons remained tethered in place. Stan and Boss acted fast, before someone had a chance to pick up the sign, and chewed the balloons free. They held on tight to the ribbons with their paws while lifted into the air by the mass of multicolored balloons, and, once they were a good ways up and out of sight, Siren flew up to catch them and fly them back to the clearing, where the rest of the ham-hams awaited.

Upon landing, Stan and Boss teetered woozily off of Siren's back, while she held at least two and a half dozen balloons in her snout, barely able to keep her own ground. The ham-hams evenly divvied up the balloons between themselves and attached them to the tied-down basket. After five minutes of teamwork and more close-calls with floating away, the balloon basket was ready. Joy was deeply impressed with how the ham-hams worked so flawlessly together, and felt now more than ever, that Steel would soon be vanquished.

Siren reverted back to her normal hamster form and plopped down beside an exhausted Stan and Boss, who were still breathing hard. A chipper Hamtaro, flanked by the rest of the grateful ham-hams, leaned over the drained trio and tittered, "Great job, guys! Now we'll get to Dreamland no problem! Thank-Q!"

"No problem., Hamtaro..." Boss breathed weakly, arms quivering from clutching the balloons so tightly as they had risen into the air.

"All in a day's work..." Siren added.

"Just one thing, ham-dudes and dudettes..." Stan pointed one limp paw toward them, eyes squinted as he glared through the sunlight.

"Like, what is it?" His sister asked, worried as she knelt down beside his tired form.

"Next time, I'm _not _getting the balloons. I've had _enough _of them for one lifetime."

* * *

Laura relaxed against her desk chair that night with a content, grateful sigh, Hamtaro peering at her curiously from his cage. After the tumultuous first day of school, Laura had not had much time for relaxation, and her shoulders had been tensed nearly the whole day. It felt so good to be home, where she could leave all of her worries behind in favor of comfort and tranquility.

As Laura wrote, she read quietly aloud, so her hamster could hear about her day as well.

"_Dear Diary, Junior High isn't quite what I expected! I knew it was going to be different, with switching classes and having lockers and everything, but I wasn't expecting to see my friends split up! And all over Travis and Mika breaking up! At Lunch, June tried to make Kana and me pick sides, but I don't know who to pick! And all of my classes were so awkward! In Art class the teacher sat Travis and Mika together, and Reese with Kana and I. And then, in Gym, everybody was together, and no matter who I spoke to, somebody got upset."_

Hamtaro, doing a few lackluster trots around his whiz-wheel, frowned. "That's awful, Laura! I'm sorry your friends are fighting. I don't know what I'd do if the ham-hams were arguing! Well, other than Howdy and Dexter of course. And what's 'breaking up?' Did their arms come off or something? That would be really _pooie_!"

"_But to make matters worse, I saw Roberto twice today, once in the hallway and in gym class, but he ignored me both times! I thought we were starting to get along better, but maybe I was wrong..._" As she wrote this, Laura's expression grew sad, and somewhat longing, as she recalled the few, fleeting good times she had enjoyed with her orange-haired friend. She hated to think that those times were over.

"Aw, Laura....that's the guy that calls me a rat! But if he's your friend, then he should talk to you! Next time I see him, I'll give him a good bite on the hand!" Hamtaro made an over-dramatized biting motion, earning a giggle from his brunette owner.

"Oh, Hamtaro! You always manage to brighten even the worst of days!"

"Anytime, Laura. Just call me Dr. Hamtaro."

However, her gloom soon returned. "_A lot of my friends had really hurt feelings over the situation. Travis looked really angry at Reese, but I could tell he was upset about it too. Reese looked more annoyed than anything, while Mika was nervous every time she got really near Travis or June. June is angrier than I've ever seen her, but Gina also seems just agitated rather than really angry. It's so confusing! And I just know there's more to the story than what I've heard!_"

She sighed. "_And whenever I'm around Travis, he seems like his usual cheerful self, but I get really nervous and jittery. Like I used to. But I also get a strange feeling like something bad is going to happen, and I can't explain it." _

"Don't feel bad, Laura! There's _lots _of stuff I don't understand!"

"Oh, Hamtaro..." Laura said, closing the cover of her journal and casting conflicted eyes onto her furry friend. "I really, really hope that tomorrow is better than today was. Maybe, everyone will have gotten over the whole thing by the time I get to school tomorrow, and we can all be friends again!"

"Tomorrow..." Hamtaro muttered with a confused tilt of his head. "Gee...I have a feeling that something important is supposed to happen tomorrow. Something _really_ important..." He scratched the back of his head with one paw, trying to remember what it was.

"I should take you with me to school, little guy!" Laura crooned, poking her finger between the bars of his cage with a smile that reflected some of her old cheerful nature. "You're such a brave little hamster, after all, you could probably solve all of my problems for me!"

"Brave...hamster..." Hamtaro sat down in his woodchips, only to stand bolt upright with wide-eyes, remembering with a jolt the important thing he had forgotten. "Oh, cats! Laura! Tomorrow I'm going on a trip to Dreamland to help save sleep, and I'm not going to be back for a couple of days! There's an evil hamster that has to be stopped! I don't want to leave you for so long, but I have to!Oh, Laura, I can't believe I almost forgot!"

He motioned wildly with his paws, expression frantic, but all Laura heard was a series of tiny, frenzied squeaks. She chuckled again, and poked a few fresh sunflower seeds through the bars for him. "You're such an eccentric little guy, Hamtaro!"

"No, _really_, Laura!" Hamtaro began to jump up and down. "I have to go away! But I promise, I'll come back as soon as I can, and you can tell me all about school, and this 'breaking up' stuff, and even that guy who calls me a rat! I won't be gone long, you can count on that!" He had never wished more than now for the ability to communicate with his human owner.

"Calm down, Hamtaro..." Laura muttered, surprised by his panicky demeanor. "It's okay."

Even though he knew that she didn't know what he had been actually saying, Hamtaro settled down and smiled a small, sad-tinged smile up at the thirteen-year old. He would have to make do with what she had said, even if she didn't mean it as he had hoped. An image of Laura, saddened, drifted into his mind, and his heart sank. It was going to be harder to leave than he had imagined.

"I hope so, Laura. Just don't miss me too much...I wouldn't even go if it wasn't important for hamsters everywhere! I'll try to be a hero again, just for you, Laura!" He stared determinedly down into his now-scattered woodchips, as Laura, clueless to Hamtaro's intentions, settled down into her sheets with a content sigh, shutting off the light in the process.

"Goodnight, Hamtaro...see you in the morning!"

"Heke? I only wish you could, Laura."

Hamtaro fought sleep off until the glaring green numbers of Laura's digital clock struck 11:50PM, around the time he was supposed to head for the Clubhouse. Carefully, he slipped out of his cage, closing the latch behind him, hoping that perhaps Laura wouldn't notice his absence for a little while if he did so. On silent, stealthy paws, he scrambled up the side of Laura's bed and stood next to her face, a sorrowful expression crossing his tired face.

"I'll miss you Laura..." He brushed his paw against her cheek as a farewell gesture, though she did not stir. "But I'll be back. Promise!"

And with that goodbye, he crawled behind the bed and to the hole in the wall. The slide down the drainpipe was colder this time of night, and the grass was already dewy and damp. Brandy lay slumbering in his doghouse, and Hamtaro patted him on the nose in farewell. "See you soon, Brandy. Watch over Laura while I'm gone, okay?"

The dog shuddered slightly in his sleep, but let out a snore and rolled over instead of waking, nearly crushing the tiny hamster. Sighing with relief that he hadn't been squashed, Hamtaro crossed the road, but turned around once he had reached the opposite sidewalk, staring up at the window to Laura's room, his chocolate brown eyes swirling with a mixture of several different emotions.

After a long moment under the watchful stars, Hamtaro turned his back on his home and marched off proudly into the bushes, ready to try and be a hero once again.

* * *

**CFB: **There you have it! The ham-hams are off on a new journey, and Junior High is full of strife for Laura. The bits with Laura will not be so long in future chapters...these first two were just setting stuff up.

SORRY IT'S REAL LONG. (I wanted to take out the balloon segment, but couldn't...) I never meet page requirements in school...I EXCEED THEM. And I DON'T KNOW HOW. Um....I'll probably TRY to make them shorter in the future. At least updates will be faster that way, eh? I make no promises, though. I have three more chapters already written, and at least two are longer than this one...I might halve them, though, so it makes six.

Tell me what you prefer! Long chapters, or shorter chapters?

(1) - English class in Japan....I don't know much about their classes, or their schools. So instead of butchering it, I just modeled Laura's school after a junior high you might find here.

**Next time:** It's off to Dreamland! The ham-hams reach the wonderful land in the clouds, and prepare to meet the Princess. How will she react to meeting them? And Laura realizes Hamtaro is gone, as is Oxnard. And will the awkwardness at school improve? Or will things get worse? And what's this....a _surprise_?! *cackles evilly* I hope no one can guess....haha.


	4. Clouded Visions

**CFB**: Chapter three time! Sorry for my absence...no excuses can cover for it. But, I digress! Dreamland ahoy. And, fittingly, it's raining right now...though it won't be when I post this, most likely. This is the longest yet...24 pages in one and a half days. But I had the end worked out ages ago...it was getting there that was the issue, and then I had a mass edit session, and...yeah. But here it is.

**Thanks: To Awsomewriter123 and sandyandmaxwellfanatic. You two are seriously awesome. Right after I post this I'm going to check out some of your stories that I missed while I haven't been on. I hope you continue to enjoy this. **

**Note: **Okay, the next update will be really quick because I've taken so long updating. So...either later tonight or tomorrow, I hope, unless the internet decides to crap out on me. Anyway....

**This time:** Hamtaro and the ham-hams fly with Joy to the magical Dreamland! Half the journey is getting there, and let's hope Stan doesn't get airsick. Princess Hamorette welcomes them with open paws, and they get blessed with the ham-ham hero treatment! New hamsters are introduced, and...what's _this_? A big _surprise_ is in this chapter? Read and find out!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

Enjoy! And feel free to criticize or whatever.

* * *

**Chapter 3**_**:**_ _Clouded Visions_

"Are we ready for a new adventure, ham-hams?"

"Hip-hip, _Hamha_!"

The sun was just a sliver of shimmering gold over the orange horizon, gleaming beautifully off the snowy feathers of Joy's dove and the multicolored balloons of the ham-hams' basket. After a blissful, dream-filled sleep, with Joy watching over them and keeping the awful nightmare away, the ham-hams were refreshed and ready for the voyage to the legendary Dreamland that Joy spoke to glowingly of.

"Are you sure you have brought all of your necessities?" Joy asked the ham-hams worriedly, glancing hesitantly at their small backpacks, only packed with enough seeds for the trip, a flashlight each, and some extra blankets. "Your packs are rather small."

"We've got everything we need!" Pashmina responded brightly. "We don't need much, anyway."

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope, her tiny yellow pack strapped on securely, jumped up and down beside her best friend.

They had also dragged Snoozer up from the Clubhouse, not wanting to leave him alone to endure the nightmare alone while they were off trying to vanquish Steel. He snoozed contentedly in the balloon basket, unaware of what was going on, while the ham-hams quickly, but efficiently prepared for their trip to the clouds.

"Yep-P! I even brought a few extra hats, just for the occasion!" Cappy added, already quivering with excitement.

"Very well then..." Joy peered at the rising sun, gauging the time. "Then I suppose it's time to depart. Again, I cannot express how grateful I am that you've agreed to help. Princess Hamorette will likely want to thank you even more than I do."

"Again, all I needed to know..." Stan drawled, eyes glazing over as he thought of meeting a beautiful Princess. Sandy, aggravated with his flirtatious ways, swatted him in the back of the head, and he shot her a glare, though he kept his mouth shut before she decided to hit him even harder.

Siren handed her backpack to Panda, as she wouldn't need hers if she was acting as part of the transport. "Are you sure you're well enough to do this, Siren?" The carpenter ham queried, his eyes faintly troubled as he looked at the ham-ham he considered a little sister. "I mean, you've only just healed from fighting Spyke at Hamwall, and you had to go and get those balloons yesterday after not getting much sleep. And the trip to Dreamland isn't long, but it isn't short either..."

Siren shrugged his concern off with a dismissive wave of her paw, hoping to relieve the big-brother figure of some of his worries. She responded, somewhat indifferently, "Thanks, but I think I'll be fine. I appreciate the concern, though."

"Are you sure?" Panda was not appeased. "You've seemed kind of...down, lately."

Siren put on her best smile for him, feeling guilty that she was worrying him so. "I'm fine, Panda. Don't worry!" She even gave him a high-four, but his troubled expression was not eased totally.

With that, Siren backed up and, with a bright flash of light, was replaced with the lean, silvery form of the Guardian. She looked imploringly between all of her friends, wondering who would be the lucky pair to ride on her back. Panda had already declined, fearing that he would be airsick, and Cappy had also refused, fearful that he would fall off.

"I'll go with Siren!" Hamtaro volunteered bravely, catching on to her expectant gaze. "After all, we're used to that, right?" He asked jokingly, with a smile, and the creature snorted laughingly in return, now able to think of their flawless teamwork at Hamwall fondly rather than fearfully.

"And _moi_ as well!" Bijou, not wanting to pass up on an opportunity to be more-or-less alone with Hamtaro, raised her paw and stepped forward almost immediately after Hamtaro did. "I was ze first to ride on ze back of ze Guardian after all, _non_? I am used to eet!" A few of the others looked like they wanted to have their turn to fly with the mystical creature, but a surprisingly stern glare from Boss kept them from challenging the decision.

"Alright then! Me and Bijou it is!" Hamtaro closed the matter, surprised by how warm his heart felt and how happy he was as he spoke his and Bijou's names together. As he glanced at a triumphant Bijou, already stepping up to a crouching Guardian, he could see that her cheeks were faintly tinted with pink, and he felt his own cheeks heat up.

Joy swung herself up onto her dove with ease, sling gone now that her battered arm was feeling better. Holding the Staff of Dreams in one paw and the reins in the other, she asked, "And who will be the ham-ham to ride with me? I have only room for one, I'm afraid."

While Bijou would not give up a chance with Hamtaro, Stan would never relent an opportunity to be alone with _any_ girl. "I'll ride with you, Joy-sweetie!" He offered, hoping to appear suave and debonair. "But I'm afraid you won't be able to focus on the sky much, what with me there and all..." He smugly stood next to the dove, flexing, and causing Sandy, and several of the other ham-hams, to roll their eyes.

"Oh, I'll be fine!" Joy replied cheerfully, oblivious to his flirting, and reached down with one paw, yanking Stan upwards with more force than he had dreamed her capable of, and jerked him into place behind her. Before he had time to situate himself properly, she had shoved the map into his paws, and a bewildered look crossed his face. "I hope you're skilled at reading maps, Stan!" Joy giggled as she carefully strapped her staff in a holster attached to the saddle and grabbed the reigns with both paws.

"Erm..." Stan fretted with wide green eyes, flipping the map every-which way, trying to find how he had to hold it. "S-sure...no problemo, Joy-sweetie! I'll get us to Dreamland in no time!" While she faced away from him, Stan looked frantically over to a silently laughing Maxwell and mouthed a desperate, 'Help me!'

Sandy sighed and slapped a paw to her forehead. "Idiot."

A few minutes later, the ham-hams were ready to begin their journey. The sun was now half-risen over the blue mountains in the distance, and the dew on the grass had begun to glow faintly silver. The ham-hams had piled into the basket already, Howdy and Oxnard poised to chew through the ropes tying the basket down as soon as Boss gave the word. The Guardian was fastened to the basket by something resembling a sled-dog harness, which had been fashioned by Panda the day before, with design ideas from one of Maxwell's books. The creature looked less than pleased by resembling a common dog, but stretched it's raven wings wide, ready to take off once the basket rose into the rapidly pinkening sky. Hamtaro and Bijou were positioned carefully on it's back, Hamtaro clutching the reigns of the harness, and Bijou holding onto him.

Stan, now fairly sure he knew how to read the map correctly, traced the line from Oak Tree Park to the blob labeled Dreamland and declared, "We're headed westward first, hamdudes and dudettes!"

"Are you _sure_ you are all prepared?" Joy asked them again, though she was raring to hit the skies. The sooner they reached Dreamland, the sooner Steel would reach his end. "I don't think we'll be able to come back for anything..."

Begrudgingly, the ham-hams sifted through their packs to make sure they had everything they needed. Once they were sure, and nodded to her, Joy defiantly turned her narrowed amber eyes to the sky and proudly proclaimed, "Then it's time to head for Dreamland!"

She gave the reigns of her dove a slight tug, and, with an immense flap of it's gossamer wings, it took off into the air, the sheer speed of the motion making Stan utter a small, girlish squeal. Joy made her ride linger by the treetops, while Boss waved his paw in the basket, signaling Oxnard and Howdy, who began to chew through the ropes keeping it bound to the ground. The Guardian crouched low, wings quivering with anticipation. The ropes broke, setting the balloon basket free, and it began to rise steadily. Keeping it's wings in time with the basket, the Guardian also ascended, until they were on level with Joy.

From the back of the Guardian, Hamtaro look a long, backwards glance at the top of Oak Tree Park and the nearby town. Somewhere out there, Laura slept soundly, unaware that her loyal pet had vanished. "Goodbye, Laura..." Hamtaro murmured, sadly, several of the other ham-hams in the basket sending silent goodbyes to their owners as well. Bijou, feeling his pain, placed a comforting paw on his shoulder, alleviating some of the heart-consuming sorrow.

Forgetting what he had to leave behind in favor of what he had promised to do, Hamtaro faced the broad sky ahead and shouted, eyes burning with excitement and a determined sense of purpose, "Alright, ham-hams! Let's go to Dreamland!"

And with the rising sun to their backs, Joy led the way, Stan holding onto her waist for dear life, with the Guardian, flapping it's regal wings slowly to keep from overtaking the dove, close behind, the brightly-colored balloons gleaming like a beacon against the morning sky. A familiar sense of deja vu swallowed the ham-hams, but in a way that made them all the more excited and anxious to be on a whole new adventure, this one already looking to be more thrilling, and even more dangerous, than the last.

* * *

Princess Hamorette sighed deeply, staring up at the orange-gold sky with a touch of worry in her jade eyes. It was a chilly morning, so she wore one of her magenta dresses with a warm, matching sweater, as she sat delicately on a white stone bench in her illustrious gardens, located just beyond the courtyard of the castle. Even in the soft morning haze, the various plants and flowers, gathered from all corners of the hamster-world, seemed to glow faintly, as did the Princess herself.

Beside her, on either side, stood her loyal knights, donned in black armor that looked misty in the fog that settled so early in the morning. They stood out, like two, stonily silent coal deposits in a field of gold. The one with crimson eyes looked about ready to doze off, his eyes half-closed and head leaning to one side somewhat, while the icy-eyed knight was wide-awake, cerulean eyes narrowed as he stared, a bit forlornly, at a bright lunar rose a few feet from of him.

Princess Hamorette sighed again. "Joy was supposed to have been back yesterday, knights..." She broke through the silence, her voice quivering, though retaining the bell-like quality.

The knights exchanged a glance, deciding which one should reply. The crimson-eyed one yawned, but figured it was his turn, as his companion was often the one left to ease the Princess's troubles. "Fear not, my lady. Joy knows what she's doing. Perhaps finding the brave hamsters was more difficult than we anticipated, or the heroes needed preparation time. I'm certain Joy will return with the reinforcements today."

"I certainly hope that is the case..." Princess Hamorette replied with a weak smile, gently brushing her paw against a blooming patch of tulips. "The protective barrier around Dreamland will not keep Steel's ghoulish nightmares out forever. Soon, he will be strong enough to penetrate it, and we must act _before_ that can happen."

The other knight shifted himself with a clanking of armor, head now tilted to the sky. "Steel will not prevail, my lady. The Guardian is with these brave hamsters, and if they defeated a Dark Lander like Spyke," here, he cast an apologetic glance at the red-eyed night, who nodded understandingly, "Then they can defeat Steel, and save Fury. And we will personally help with that."

The Princess seemed even more disconcerted by that statement. Looking quickly at the red-eyed night, before shooting a long, much more meaningful stare at the blue-eyed one, she murmured mournfully, "Oh, I could not imagine either of you going off into battle like that. If I were to lose you, I would never be able to get over it. I keep you by my side because I know you will be safe, and I trust you two above all else. Without you...well, no other knights call fill your armor."

Embarrassed, the red-eyed night muttered thanks, glad Princess Hamorette couldn't see how he had flushed. The blue-eyed night, however, stiffened at her words. "With all due respect, my lady..." He returned, hoping he didn't sound like he was opposing her. "I don't intend to stand idly by while these heroic hamsters go off to fight alone. I want to be there, fighting just as hard to save Fury and restore sleep to it's proper balance." He also hoped she couldn't catch how he had sounded more determined about the first objective.

The Princess frowned at him, perplexed. "But what if you were to be hurt? I could never live with myself!" She proclaimed, wringing her paws fearfully. "The only way I can be sure of your safety is if you remain here with me."

The red-eyed knight was considering his partner's idea. "Actually, my lady..." He said, slowly and thoughtfully, also not trying to oppose her. "I believe he has a point, somewhat. We are the two most skilled knights in Dreamland. If we were to accompany those brave heroes and the Guardian, then victory will almost be certain, provided we have a good plan. Steel will be absolutely no match for all of us."

Princess Hamorette was unconvinced. "Well, I believe that these hamsters are skilled enough to defeat Steel without your support. Like you said...they took down a Dark Lander, and they can take down Steel!" There was a stubborn edge to her voice that irked the blue-eyed knight. She also appeared to be trying to convince _herself _of her own words, and not just her loyal protectors.

He was about to rebuke, likely less formally than he should, but the red-eyed knight interjected, not wanting his best friend's mouth to get him into trouble, "We can't know for sure what these hamsters are capable of if we didn't actually _see_ them at Hamwall. But you do know how strong _we_ are, and what we're able to do. It is almost a sure thing if we go along, my lady..." His paw lingered on his sword hilt. "Besides, I've been itching to get my sword near Steel for a while now..."

"Enough!" Growing fed up with these fighting desires, Princess Hamorette stood up and raised her paws to silence the knights, jade eyes clouded with worry and anger. "I will hear no more of this! You two will _not_ be going to fight Steel with the brave heroes, and that is my final word!"

She flounced off toward the entrance to the castle, wanting to leave the discussion far behind, where it could never be brought up again. If she were to send her powerful, paw-picked knights, knights she had designated to remain by her side forever, out to fight such an evil hamster, even with reinforcements, there was always a chance that they would be injured. And she couldn't imagine going on and ruling Dreamland without either one, always over her shoulder, loyal and true, though she was more deeply concerned for one than the other. Without him...she might as well surrender the throne.

Her words echoing in their helmets, the knights trailed along after their Princess, as was their eternal duty. Patting his friend lightly on his armor clad shoulder, the red-eyed knight muttered lowly, "Sorry, pal. I tried. Looks like we'll have to be on the sidelines for this one."

The blue-eyed knight shook his head, glacial eyes burning. Through tightly gritted teeth, he growled, "No way. I'll _be_ there fighting Steel, even if I have to go against Princess Hamorette to do so. This is one fight she is_ not_ going to keep me out of." His paws clenched into tight fists.

The red-eyed knight was about to protest, but realized that if his friend did, indeed, join the rally against Steel and fight alongside their reinforcements, Hamorette would likely forgive him. In her eyes, he could do no wrong, and every time he slipped up she always forgave him instantly. However, if _he_, the non-favorite, were to try it himself, she would likely have his lovely red eyes gouged out and have him thrown into a dungeon somewhere in the bowels of the castle. Oh, how unfair favoritism was...

"I know you want to be there a lot, man, but maybe this isn't our fight...those brave hamsters can probably take down Steel. He's tough, but like, a dozen versus one are good odds for our side, provided he doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve....er...cape." The red-eyed knight pointed out, although he knew that his retort was futile.

The blue-eyed knight's eyes simply glowed with an even brighter, more fiery kind of resolve, paws drawn into fists so tight they were turning bone-white. His voice was smooth and cool, but as jagged as an icy ledge.

"As long as Fury is in danger and needs saving, it will _always _be my fight."

He stormed into the castle ahead of his crimson-eyed friend, and slammed the door behind him, leaving his poor companion locked out in the gardens. Sighing grievously, the red-eyed knight plopped down onto the stone ground, making a very distinct sound of metal clanging against a hard surface. Princess Hamorette would not willingly send her knights out lest she lose one of them in particular, but that one would not sit out because he felt it was his duty to save a certain russet-furred Protector of Slumber and return her to Dreamland. And that left _him _the lone hamster trying to preserve everyone's feelings, though he was sure many feelings were going to be hurt during this tumultuous time.

Tilting his bright red eyes to the beautiful empyrean, the knight sighed and leaned back so he was laying on the cobblestone path, surrounding by hundreds of sweetly scented flowers. He let out a long, frustrated groan, and waited wearily for either his partner or the Princess herself to realize that he had been left behind..._again_. Had this emotional situation really left him the solitary, rational voice of reason in the castle? It certainly looked that way.

"Tch...and that is why only _fools _fall in love."

* * *

The Guardian and Joy's dove flew gracefully and carefully beside one another as the sky turned from a lovely blend of reds, pinks, and golds, to a familiar, sparkling blue. The wind wasn't much of a factor, which left Hamtaro, Bijou, Joy, and a scared-out-of-his-wits Stan to chat freely between their modes of transportation without having to _heyhoo_.

Joy peered frequently at the majestic Guardian, flying so effortlessly beside her own elegant dove. It looked both menacing and gentle, a mix of strength and kindness that many failed to achieve. She knew that with this beast on their side, their chances were improved greatly, but wondered about the abilities of the other ham-hams. The Guardian was obviously capable of a great many feats, but these brave heroes that had assisted it at Hamwall had to have some sly tricks of their own.

"So..." Joy remarked idly, about halfway through the journey, glancing over at Hamtaro and Bijou with curious amber eyes. "How exactly _did_ you brave ham-hams manage to beat Spyke at Hamwall? Watcher Nimbus, the hamster who saw you there, didn't give us very many details. I'm curious to know how you managed to bring down such a powerful threat!"

Hamtaro blushed sheepishly. Modestly rubbing the back of his head with one paw and gripping the reigns with the other, he replied earnestly, "Well, it was mainly Siren, here. She's the one who did most of the work, being the Guardian and all..."

The Guardian grunted a retort that they couldn't understand, but it was clearly disagreeing.

"What ze Guardian ees trying to say was zat ze whole fight at Hamwall was a group effort, _non_?" Bijou, smile on her snow-white face, glanced down at the Guardian, who bobbed it's head in response. "You zee, Hamtaro was ze 'unlikely hero' from ze Legend! 'E too, 'ad a beeg paw in defeating Zpyke!"

"Aw, shucks, Bijou..." Hamtaro's cheeks burned with the effect of her praise.

Joy was startled, but a huge smile spread across her face. "Oh, wow, I hadn't a clue that you were so _directly _involved with the Legend of Fate. What a pleasant surprise! I certainly was lucky to get your help, then, even more than I realized at first!"

"'E was very brave!" Bijou continued glowingly, directing her warm smile in Hamtaro's direction, and making him blush an even deeper shade of scarlet and murmur, "Bijou, you're embarrassing me...I didn't do _that_ much! It was a _hamteam_, like you said!"

Stan, put off by all of the attention Hamtaro was getting, huffily intervened, retorting hotly, "_I_ also helped defeat that bad dude, Joy-sweetie! Hamtaro and Siren did a bunch, sure, but they weren't the _only_ ones. I was real brave too...storming into battle without any protection, all to save the hamster world from that bad hamdude...I wish you could have seen it, sweetheart...it was _inspiring_."

In the basket, Sandy had a strange feeling that Stan was making a fool out of himself, but was too involved in her conversation with Maxwell to lean over the side of the basket and chastise him.

Joy peered over her shoulder at Stan in surprise. "Really? What part did you play, Stan?" She asked eagerly, dying to hear all of the heroics from the fateful battle on Wizenhart's hill.

Stan faltered. "Erm...it was all a _blur_, you see..."

"Don't you remember, Stan?" Hamtaro asked, tilting his head confusedly to the side. "While the Guardian and I went after Spyke, the rest of you ham-hams directed the power of your friendship to help us out! It was your guys's friendship that really helped...why are you waving your arms at me like that, Stan?"

Stan had been motioning wildly with his paws, trying to get Hamtaro to shut up about the 'power of friendship' stuff, but stopped once Joy looked curiously over her shoulder at him again. "The power of friendship, huh?" She asked, voice losing some of its enthusiasm, as she had been expecting a riveting tale about flashing swords, billowing capes, and a torrent of flames, or something else much more dramatic than 'friendship'. "Every little bit helps, I guess..."

As she faced the vast expanse of sky ahead, unimpressed by Stan's futile efforts to make himself look like a valiant hero, the tiger-striped flirt bellowed in frustration, "_Thanks_, Hamtaro! Way to make it sound stupid and ruin my image!"

"Heke? What's an image?"

"Oh, forget it..."

Back in the basket, the other ham-hams carried on their own conversations to pass the time until they reached their destination. "I'm so excited to look around Dreamland!" Pashmina chattered excitedly, clapping her paws together as she peered out over the miniaturized landscape below them. "Just think of what they must have there! The fashion must be great; I'll bet I can get a really nice new scarf in the shops Joy was telling me about!"

Dexter saw an opportunity open up as she said this, and he took it before anyone else could. Sidling up to the scarf-wearing ham-ham, he tried his normally uneffective powers of wooing. "I look forward to seeing Dreamland as well, Pashmina! Perhaps we can go sightseeing together...I'm sure that it would be very fun, don't you think?" He asked slyly.

She was about to respond when Howdy crudely shoved his way between them, countering, "No _way_ the lovely Pashmina's gonna be walkin' around a romantic place like Dreamland with _you_, four eyes! If anythin', she'll go lookin' at all the sights with me! Whaddya say, darlin'?" He turned, softening his tone as he looked imploringly at the apple of his eye.

"Uh..." Pashmina muttered, looking between the two of them confusedly.

"I asked her first Howdy!" Dexter snapped.

"Well, I asked her last, glasses-boy!"

"That doesn't make sense, you ignoramus!"

"I'd rather me an ignor-whatchamacallit than a smarty-paws know-it-all!"

As they duked it out, Penelope cheerfully bounded over to Pashmina and whispered something in her ear, making the two feuding _hamspar _freeze mid-fight. "What's that Penelope?" Pashmina asked, listening closer. "_You_ want to look around Dreamland with me when we get there? That sounds like fun! Of course we can go together!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"Yeah, let's pick out a scarf and blanket together! Then we can match!"

The two female ham-hams then obliviously abandoned the astonished Howdy and Dexter in favor of a much friendlier conversation with Panda and Cappy, who were sitting together in one corner. The arguing pair exchanged surprised glances, before getting right back into it again.

"This is _your _fault, Howdy! She would have gone with me if you hadn't butted your big fat nose into our conversation!"

"_Me_? Now who's bein' stupid? She would rather go sightseeing' with a blind ham than you, Dex! And a blind ham can't see nothin'! Get it? Har har!"

Sandy, irked that their constant sparring was interrupting her talking/leisure time with Maxwell, turned around and hollered furiously at them, eyes burning, "Like, give it a rest, guys!" And, not daring to oppose, her, the two simmered down and retreated to opposite sides of the basket, though kept up a heated staring contest for the remainder of the trip.

Panda was enjoying breakfast when the girls joined he and Cappy. "Hamha, boys!" Pashmina greeted, as she plopped down and rifled through her own pack for a bite to eat. "Are you guys just as excited as we are about all of this?"

"You bet!" Cappy replied, eyes bright.

"What about you, Panda?" Pashmina questioned, turning to the panda-marked ham-ham with curious eyes, only to find that he was staring off into space, the look in his eyes drifting from concern to confusion and back again. Pashmina, befuddled by his behavior, waved a paw in front of his face and said loudly, "Hamha? Earth to Panda!"

The carpenter snapped out of it, cheeks hinted with red. "_Oopsie_..." He apologized, somewhat sheepish. "Guess I was just...lost in my thoughts, a little bit."

Cappy frowned. "You looked kind of upset, Panda. What's wrong?"

Panda was about to brush off the question and deny anything wrong, but at once thought better of it. Perhaps talking to the others would be a good way to help clear his clouded mind, a method that had almost always worked in the past. "Well..." Panda explained, voice semi-reluctant. "I'm excited to get to Dreamland and all, but I'm just really worried. This Steel guy sounds like really bad news, even worse than Spyke! I know we took a bad ham down before, but this ham can control how we sleep! That's a scary thing!"

Pashmina and Cappy took a moment to consider that, while Penelope obliviously shifted through her own backpack in search of a shiny acorn she had brought, not paying any attention to the chatter. After the pause, Pashmina's enthusiasm was toned down a notch. "I guess I never really focused on the dangerous part of this trip so much..." She admitted. "Now that you mention it, I'm getting chills just _thinking _about the nightmare that evil hamster gave us!"

Panda frowned. "I didn't mean to bring you down," He remarked earnestly, staring sadly at an uneaten sunflower seed in his paws. "It's just...I don't know. I wasn't really all that worried about it until I walked home with Siren yesterday, and she seemed really...off. She's been out of it for the past couple of days, but it got even worse when this whole nightmare stuff started happening. I asked her about it, but she said she was just tired. I could tell it was something more, though...I mean, if the Guardian is worried about this Steel hamster, than we _definitely _should be."

Cappy's brow furrowed, and he scratched an ear, puzzled. He said, "Weird...I didn't think Siren was acting strangely at all until yesterday, but we were all kind of _bizaroo _after the nightmare, and especially after Joy showed up with all the talk of dreams and staffs and stuff."

"Yeah..." Panda trailed slowly, eyes glazing over with thought again. "Maybe you _are _right. She just...hasn't seemed like herself lately. To me, anyway. But I might have been imagining it, or it could just be some weird Guardian thing that we don't understand. I still think she's more concerned about fighting Steel than we are, though. He looked pretty tough in the nightmare...I know _I_ was terrified."

Pashmina frowned deeply at the mention of fighting, but perked up in an instant, smiling brightly as she said, trying to lift the depressing mood that had settled, "Well, hopefully if we _hamteam _with the Dreamland knights and Joy, we can resolve this whole problem without having to do _too much_ fighting. Steel is just one hamster, after all, and we'll have a whole bunch of us there to help! And then, sleep will be safe for hamsters again! With so many against just one, how can we lose?"

"Yeah!" Cappy agreed cheerfully, pumping a fist. "If we work together, nothing can stop us!"

Panda smiled, his brooding mood already lightening in favor of his usual chipper self. "Sounds like a plan to me, ham-hams. I just can't wait for this whole mess to be over!" He too, was confident that they could, if organized, take down this Steel character, but it didn't stop him from worrying about the pending battle he could feel looming.

Pashmina knew of the sibling-like bond that had developed between Siren and Panda ever since Siren had joined their group, and could relate it to her sisterly relationship with Penelope. Sensing that Panda's mind wasn't totally at ease about the younger ham he saw as a sister, Pashmina assured him, hoping to bring some peace to his troubles, "I'm sure Siren will cheer up once this whole nightmare issue is dealt with. Being the Guardian must be a lot of pressure for her, but she'll be back to normal in no time."

That triggered a wider smile from her grey and white friend, though a touch of worry still gleamed in his eye.

"I'll bet you're right, Pashmina. Thank-Q."

Over in the corner, Sandy and Maxwell were poring over one of Maxwell's books about legendary places, while Oxnard chowed down on hazelnuts beside them, not participating with the research. The booksmart ham and his athletic girlham were reading about the legendary Dreamland, and speculating about what it would be like when they arrived, other than what they already knew from Joy and what she had debunked for them so far.

"So, it floats in the clouds with like, propellers, Maxy?" Sandy asked, recalling what Joy had told them the night before at their little 'slumber party' in the Clubhouse. "Like, how?"

Maxwell responded, "Well, it's like a chunk of land in the sky, with propellers underneath it to keep it airborne, and on each side so they can decide which direction they want to go. It's fascinating, really. When I get there, that's one of the first things I want to learn more about! The engineering must be highly advanced for a civilization that's been around for as long as Dreamland has!" At the mention of the technology, Maxwell's eyes burned with a desire for knowledge.

Sandy frowned. "Yeah, that's like, cool..." She admitted, though her voice was hinting at something else as she leaned closer to Maxwell and smiled brightly at him. "But, you also want to have some _fun_ when we like, get there, don't you Maxy? Joy said there's a lot of totally radical things to do!"

"Hm?" Maxwell, who had returned to reading attentively, queried, like he hadn't even heard her speak. "_Oopsie_, Sandy...I'm just so excited about seeing how Dreamland works! It baffles so many rules of Science, and no ordinary ham-ham has ever stepped paw there! I don't think I'll be able to tear myself away from learning about it! But, what is it you said?"

Even without hearing her question, Maxwell still somehow managed to crush her hopes. With a setting as romantic as Dreamland, Sandy had hoped for some alone time with Maxwell, walking paw-in-paw down the bustling streets of the land in the clouds, but she had a feeling he would be nose-deep in his books or asking the residents of Dreamland questions the entire time, and she would, again, be taking second place to his ever-expanding hunger for knowledge.

"Nevermind, Maxy...it wasn't important."

* * *

Steel stood out on his balcony, looking with frosty azure eyes over his empty domain. In the woods just beyond the castle, not a single bird could be heard chirping, nor a flutter of a single bug. The wind was calm, not rustling the leaves of the trees enough to make any real noise. Truly, Steel was engulfed in silence. He breathed in the chilly morning air deeply and closed his vivid eyes, trying to imagine how this castle and the woods beyond it used to be, when he was younger, and how he would restore it to that livelihood. It was mornings like these, misty and chilly, that made him remember the days he could only dream of forgetting.

Nikolai stood, nervously, behind him, waiting for an order or something to do. Fury, who was still brainwashed, had taken a break after delivering more nightmares, and Steel had commanded her to go and walk aimlessly about the castle so she wouldn't disturb him. The ruler of the silent kingdom needed alone time to contemplate, even though Nikolai was rarely more than a stone's throw away, like a loyal lackey always is.

"Nikolai..." Steel murmured into the still air, voice an odd combination of nostalgia and repressed anger. "Do you know what this castle is? Or rather, what it was?"

The little tan hamster jumped slightly as he was addressed, thinking desperately of an appropriate response that wouldn't earn him a slap upside the head. "N-no, Master Steel...as long as I've been alive, this castle has always been abandoned, I think..."

Steel smirked, eyes still closed as he stood proudly over the faded green moor. In a distant voice, far different from his usual, coldly stern one, he explained, "This castle was once part of the great hamster kingdom of Hamaustere, and the remnants of the village can be found in the forest just yonder. The royal family ruled here for countless years....just as long as Dreamland's monarchs were in power, only a few miles away and a few hundred feet up. Hamaustere and Dreamland were allies, and their royal families were good friends. They were a great duo."

Nikolai stopped shuddering, and pricked his ears forward attentively. He had never heard Steel explain anything about this place in depth, and he had been quite curious as to why his master had chosen this desolate location for their base of operations. If anything, Nikolai would have chosen to hide underground; not in a place out in the open, even if no one had lived there in years...unless there was some sort of personal connection involved.

Steel went on, never once opening his eyes, as if he were picturing memories of long ago, "The last King of Hamaustere, Strom, came into power seven years ago, before you were born, Nikolai. He, and the great King Hamvil of Dreamland, were close friends and allies for a good few years. Then, to make their alliance stronger, it was decided that King Hamvil's infant daughter, Hamorette, would marry King Strom's infant son, and unite the two kingdoms by marriage. Their children were, however, very young at the time...it would have to wait until they were of age. The betrothed pair played together each summer and holiday season, to make sure they got along, until four years ago, when Hamelot declared war on both Dreamland and Hamaustere, wishing to take control of them and their power."

Nikolai had never gone to the local school in Dreamland, so he knew very little of the affairs between the great hamster kingdoms of the world. All he knew was that the first three were Hamelot, Hamwall, and Dreamland, followed shortly by the rest, and only one had been destroyed that he knew of, and that was Hamwall. He hadn't known a thing about Hamaustere. And from how Steel was talking, it sounded like his master had been very close to this tidbit of history...

"King Hamvil was adamant that they make a march on Hamelot before Hamelot attacked _them_. Hamvil was generally a ham of peace, choosing to stay out of conflict, or end them before they got out of paw. But King Strom wanted to train their knights together, and make a strong, efficient fleet before launching any attack, since Hamelot's forces were the strongest of all the kingdoms. King Hamvil thought King Strom a fool for wanting to wait and play it safe, and, shortly after they had a big argument over what to do, something tragic occurred..."

Steel paused, and Nikolai's spine quivered with anticipation, making some of his fur stand on end. In a voice devoid of emotion, Steel continued, opening listless blue eyes to stare blankly out across the deadened land, "Hamelot sprung a surprise attack on Hamaustere in the middle of the night. Nearly all of the knights were captured, though they managed to severely deplete Hamelot's forces in the process. But King Strom and his wife, Queen Fauna, were killed tragically in the fray, as well as nearly all of the royals and civilians, and the Hamelot King emptied out Hamaustere for his own use."

Nikolai was frozen to the spot, intent on hearing the rest of the story.

Steel chuckled hollowly. "Funny thing is...dear King Hamvil, King Strom's best friend, _saw_ the Hamelot knights preparing to storm Hamaustere, but did nothing to warn his closest companion, and did nothing to lend his aid. He could have prevented several deaths, and saved an entire kingdom, but he just stood idly by and watched it all take place without a _shred _of remorse. And, a single day later, he marched his well-rested knights on Hamelot, and, the severely exhausted and tired Hamelot forces were defeated; the King fleed and was never heard from again, and King Hamvil took the throne. He has ruled there ever since, though he isn't a young ham any longer. He placed his youngest daughter, Hamorette, on the throne in Dreamland, and Hamaustere was left to stand hollow and alone. No attempts at restoration were ever made."

His steely azure eyes narrowed, angry sparks almost visibly crackling in his gaze. "King Hamvil _betrayed _his best friend, King Strom, which resulted in the decimation of Hamaustere. Of the residents of Hamaustere, hundreds were killed or forced to evacuate. One remained, and survived...all this time, he has been waiting for an opportunity."

Steel clutched his scepter tightly in his paws, teeth clenched and face contorted with rage. Fury rolled off of his fur in heat-charged waves, and made Nikolai take a few cowering steps back, and even more once he heard the venemous bite in Steel's malevolent voice.

"And he _will _have his revenge on Dreamland, and the offspring of the traitor King Hamvil...the equally as traitorous _Princess _Hamorette."

* * *

Laura awoke that morning to the drone of her alarm clock, the sun spilling in through her window and across her face, making her blink several times. She groaned when she saw the time glaring at her in neon green, but begrudgingly hauled herself out of bed and plodded off to the bathroom to get ready for her second day of junior high. Only half-awake, she didn't notice that her beloved hamster's cage was silently vacant.

She went about her usual morning routine, and only when she was dressed and ready did she bend down to peer in between the bars of Hamtaro's cage. Peeking into his little house and looking for a slightly moving lump under a pile of woodchips, Laura whispered, "Hamtaro, I'm sorry if I woke you, but I'm off to school now, little guy."

A moment passed. Laura was puzzled, as her pet normally woke up or emerged from one of his various hiding spots to see her off each morning. "Hamtaro?" Laura spoke up a bit more loudly, unlatching the door and having a more thorough look around the cage.

There was no movement. The color drained from Laura's face, and she frantically, but gently, ran her fingers through the woodchips, thinking that perhaps Hamtaro had burrowed himself down deep and couldn't hear her, but her search was futile. He wasn't anywhere near his whiz-wheel, he wasn't in his little house, and he wasn't hiding under his woodchips. Hamtaro was nowhere to be found, and before she could control herself Laura fell to the ground and screamed, eyes filling up with tears, "Mom! Dad! Come quick!"

Forrest Haruna, hearing his daughter's cry, barreled up the steps like a frenzied bull. "What is it, Laura?" He asked upon bursting into her room, Marion Haruna standing worriedly by his side, having been interrupted in her breakfast-making by Laura's unexpected shout.

Tearfully, Laura motioned to Hamtaro's empty cage and said, voice breaking, "Hamtaro's _gone_. He isn't in his cage..."

Forrest crossed the room in three long strides and knelt down beside his weeping daughter, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Oh, Laura..." He soothed, sympathetic. "It's okay. He can't have gotten very far. Maybe he just got curious and wandered off for a little while...he came back before, didn't he? He'll come back again."

"How do you know that?" Laura asked, sniffing, trying to make her tears stop. "I thought after last time he'd never run away again!"

"Oh, don't say that, Laura, honey..." Marion added, draping her arm over Laura's other shoulder as she also sat down on the floor while her daughter swatted hastily at the tears in her eyes. "Hamtaro is a good hamster. He'll come back; he probably just wanted to look around a little and got lost. In fact, he might be wandering around the room right now, or somewhere else in the house."

This made Laura hop to her feet with a sudden burst of energy. "You're right! Maybe I can find him!"

Laura instantly began to comb through her room, looking under her bed, behind her desk, and under anything a hamster would be able to fit through or in. Marion and Forrest, painstakingly aware of the time, assisted their daughter, but after a few minutes they exchanged a knowing glance and had to call off the search. "Laura, honey, we know you're worried about Hamtaro, but you're going to be late for school if you don't leave soon," Marion advised the stressing teen, who overturned her trash-can in search of her loyal pet.

Laura stared up at her mother in shock. "But _mom_! I can't go to school while Hamtaro is _missing_! If I don't find him soon, he'll just get farther and farther away!"

Forrest and Marion were empathetic toward the distraught Laura, but only to a certain point. Forrest stepped forward and said, somewhat sternly, "Now Laura, a missing hamster is no reason to miss your second day of school. He has to be somewhere in this house, and he'll still be by the time you get home. You can search for him some more once you get back from school."

"But - !" Laura protested feebly, eyes brimming with cold tears as Forrest raised a hand to silence her.

"We understand that you're concerned, but your education comes first, Laura. Now, head off to school. If you don't find Hamtaro by the time I get home from work, I'll help you search some more, but for now you need to get a move on. Kana must be getting impatient waiting for you."

Laura reluctantly slung her backpack over her shoulder, wiping the tears rimming her eyes away with her free hand. She cast one long, despairing glance at the vacant cage. Over the past couple of years, Hamtaro had been her one constant confidant, an attentive listener who always managed to make her feel better. And now, he had disappeared without a trace, and that comfort was gone, replaced with a gaping, empty hole. Now, she would face anguish at both school and at home, with nowhere to run to where she could feel relaxed and welcome. Just a tumult of drama, despair, and chaos...

Laura only half-heard her parents offer her an optimistic goodbye, and only half-felt their attempted hugs. She barely heard the door slam shut behind her as she trudged out into the fresh morning air, and kept her eyes cast to the dull stone walkway until she saw Kana's shoes in her line of vision.

"Hey, Kana..." She greeted feebly, feeling the tears beginning to come on again.

She heard Kana utter a watery chuckle. "Have you been crying too, Laura?"

Laura, surprised, looked up quickly to see that Kana's eyes were also rimmed with red, her glasses a bit misty from crying. She couldn't bring herself to make even a small smile, and she also looked completely devastated, almost a mirror-image of Laura's expression only a moment before. "Kana!" Laura exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"Oh..." Kana grumbled as they began their trek to school, pulling her glasses off and wiping the oncoming tears away. "I woke up this morning, and when I went to say good morning to Oxnard his cage was empty, and half of his seeds were gone from the bag hidden under my desk. My parents think he escaped during the night...but I looked all around my room, and couldn't find him anywhere!"

Laura's face paled, and her eyes widened as she slowly turned to face Kana. Her teary best friend returned the look, but with more confusion. "What is it, Laura? You look like you've seen a ghost or something..."

"Hamtaro went missing, too!" Laura blurted out, though voicing the news aloud only made her depression increase sharply. Kana's eyes widened until they were the same size as Laura's. "I woke up this morning and he was gone! That's why_ I_ was crying."

Kana looked incredulous, and her tears stopped momentarily. "How strange! Two hamsters going missing at the same time?" Luckily, her sadness was overcome with disbelief in lieu of the startling revelation. Eyes narrowing fearfully behind her glasses and color draining from her cheeks, Kana asked, voice shaky and tentative, "You don't think...we have some kind of hamster-napper on the loose, _do_ you?"

Laura contemplated that, but soon shook her head. "No way! Who would go around stealing hamsters? They're only a couple dollars down at the pet store...though Hamtaro was a pretty special hamster. I just wish I knew where to find him...I doubt anyone stole him, so he has to be in my house somewhere. There's no way he could have gotten outside..." She bit her lip. "I'll tear up the floorboards to find him, if I have to."

Kana chuckled weakly. "Yeah...I'll help you look for him after school, and then we can go over and look for Oxnard. Maybe both of them vanishing at one time was just a really odd coincedence...but hopefully, that means they'll return at the same time too!"

Laura certainly hoped so. But as the looming, brick-red school came into view just beyond the walk, her already laden heart began to feel ten pounds heavier. It was time for day two of junior high, and she hoped that this time around, things would be settled, and her torn friends would be on their way to a peaceful resolution. She didn't know how much of the fighting she could take today, when her poor heart and emotions had already taken a drastic hit...the last thing she needed was to be forced into choosing sides, but she had a terrible feeling that things would only grow worse as the school days passed, and her friends would only grow further and further apart.

Elementary school was looking pretty cozy right about now.

* * *

"How much longer until we _get _there?"

Hamtaro's tail was beginning to hurt from sitting in the same position for so long. Bijou, also, was growing sore and tired after a few hours in the skies, and Stan griped constantly about how his rear ached from lack of movement. The ham-hams in the basket were also growing weary and impatient, now and then delegating one ham-ham to peer over the side and see if they could spot Dreamland in the distance, but each time were disappointed. Now, they were just raring to reach the fabled land in the clouds...

Joy glanced at the position of the burning sun, now more overhead than at their backs. The ham-hams in the basket had positioned several of the blankets so that they were shielded from the glaring sun, closer now that they were so high up. She estimated that they had been flying for just the right amount of time, and, if she were correct, and Stan was reading the map properly, then Dreamland was just beyond this coming cluster of clouds...

"I believe we are just about there!" Joy replied with a bright smile, pleased that they had made good time. "The last obstacle standing in our way is that cloud, there!" She pointed with one pleased paw.

Hamtaro and Bijou looked ahead at where she was pointing with narrowed eyes, only to have them widen in shock once they caught a glimpse of it. Hamtaro, mouth agape, pointed at said cloud with one shaky paw and asked, voice tremoring, "Th...that cloud? Right in _front _of us?"

Joy nodded cheerfully. "Yep!"

Hamtaro was horrified, and Bijou immediately clung tighter to his midriff. They had never seen a cloud that big before, even from the ground. It towered over them, coming on like a frothy, snow-colored wall, ready to swallow up anyone who ventured too close. Maxwell had given the ham-hams a stern lecture about how it was easy to get disoriented flying through a cloud, and Hamtaro had a feeling getting lost in that monster of a floating fluff-ball would be all too easy, and the ham-hams in the balloon basket could easily be sent askew if the Guardian happened to become confused and the basket capsized. To make matters worse, there was a large collection of clouds directly below them and underneath them, like they were in a tunnel, and only small tidbits of sky peeked through at them, and there was only one large opening they could see...directly at the top of the giant cloud.

The Guardian, however, appeared unfazed by the challenge nearing them. It just flattened it's arms and legs, so they were flat against it's lean body, and narrowed it's ice-colored eyes, ready to handle the worst that immense cloud could deal. It's wing-strokes increased as Joy's dove lurched forward at a quicker pace, as if it were hastening to reach the giant white blob faster.

Stan, by this time, had also caught sight of the puffy juggernaut drawing ever closer to them. Ears drooping, he asked Joy meekly, tapping her on the shoulder with a trembling paw, "_Please _tell me we're not going to go _through _that thing...?"

Joy giggled. "Of course not!" She exclaimed, as if the idea were preposterous.

Stan heaved a great sigh of relief. "Oh, _good_..."

"We're going _over _it!"

Hamtaro, hearing this, shot a panicky look over at the blissfully joyful Protector of Slumber, Bijou gaping openmouthed behind him, totally in shock as well. Stan's fur instantly lost some of it's sheen, and he proceeded to try and shrink away into the saddle, whimpering, though no matter how he tried, the monstrous cloud only drew ever nearer to him.

Joy tightened her hold on the reigns, and informed the Guardian, "It's a steep ascent, but it's the only way. This cloud has stopped many an adventurer from finding Dreamland over the years. Can you handle it?" She asked, smiling slyly, a gleam in her amber eyes.

The Guardian's lips curved slightly upward and it narrowed it's glacial eyes even further, offering Joy a cross between an affirmative grunt and a snort that clearly said, 'bring it.'

Joy gave the reigns a toss, and the dove rocketed forward, as she shouted, "Just follow my lead!" over her shoulder. Stan grabbed onto her waist and held on for dear life as the dove plowed forward toward the gigantic monstrosity, not even hesitating. The wall of wispy white was drawing closer and closer, and, just when it looked like they were about to be digested, Joy gave the reigns a jerk, and the dove turned sharply, so it was soon pounding it's wings even harder as it propelled itself in a vertical climb, Stan and Joy hanging on carefully. Joy seemed to be enjoying herself, even letting out a cry of delight as they shot upwards, but Stan looked about one second away from vomiting.

Watching this, the Guardian easily realized that the angle was extremely steep, and it was going to be risky, and quite possibly fatal, trying to make this maneuver. It cast a quick look over it's shoulder at Hamtaro and Bijou, who easily understood the warning in it's eyes. As the Guardian began to pick up speed and stream toward the massive cloud, concentrating hard with it's stern blue eyes, Hamtaro clutched the reigns tighter, Bijou's arms securely around his waist, and he shouted as loud as he could over his shoulder,

"Hold onto your tails, ham-hams!"

As his shout drifted to their ears, the ham-hams peered over the side of the basket, quickly grasping the situation once they felt the fierce wind generated from the Guardian's churning wings whip against their face, blowing their ears and whiskers back sharply, and they caught sight of the gargantuan cloud looming over them like a dangerous barrier determined to keep them from whatever wonder lay beyond. Horrified and terrified all at once, the ham-hams had little time to react before they were all thrown against the very back of the basket, all jammed together with the wind lashing at their faces as the Guardian streamed upward in a straight, vertical ascent, faster than the roller-coaster at the Funpark could ever dream of running, and so fast the varied balloons flew straight out behind the basket, not provided a single sliver of resistance.

But, as they shot upwards at an unimaginable speed, the ham-hams crammed against the single wall of the basket had only one collective thought, and they unleashed that single thought simultaneously.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

But, in a split second, it was over, and they were jolted forward, landing in a heap on the bottom of the basket as it straightened out and began a slow, leisurely descent. The Guardian abruptly slowed it's pace, though it was still moving quite briskly, right on the tail of Joy's dove now, where Stan was leaning to one side, almost completely dazed. Hamtaro and Bijou were a strange mix of exhilarated and dumbstruck, and they found that they couldn't loosen their hold one bit from whatever had anchored them to the Guardian's body. The Guardian itself looked highly satisfied with the accomplishment, and kept it's regal head held high, like a proud winner of some vertical race.

Woozily, the heap of ham-hams untangled their backpacks, tails, and limbs from one another, legs like wobbly jello as they struggled to regain their footing now that the 'thrill' ride was over and they could breathe again. "That....that...." Oxnard blabbered, almost incoherent, clutching his favorite seed like it was his only lifeline as he tottered back onto his rear with a thunk.

"That was..._something_..." Maxwell decided, laying spread-eagle on the bottom of the basket, book in paw, his ears touching Sandy's as she lay, breathing heavily, adjacent to him.

"Certainly was! Why, I reckon that was a rougher ride than a mechanical bull! Har har! " Howdy crowed triumphantly, having been both shaken and excited by the ride.

"Yeah..." A trembling Dexter gasped as he sat hunched in a corner, paw over his chest as he felt his thudding heartbeat, raging against his ribcage, his lungs screaming in protest as he tried to suck in as much air as possible to fill his constricted lungs. "It was certainly something I _never _want to do _ever _again!"

"Ham-hams! Come on, you gotta see!"

Panda had recovered from the aftereffects of the shockingly fast ascent enough to be peering with wide, amazed eyes over the side of the basket. His green-blue eyes glowed, and the other ham-hams, still shaken, rushed as fast as they could to the rim of the basket, looking out over it until they saw exactly what had brought that gleam to Panda's eye, and they were not disappointed this time around. Bijou, Hamtaro and Stan had also caught sight of it, and had forgotten their previous terror in favor of awe.

There, centered on a flat, but wispy cloud only a few hundred meters in the distance, was what had to be Dreamland.

A flat piece of land, circular in shape, with propellers whirring, one on each side, and several smaller ones underneath, keeping the majestic land afloat. Widespread collections of tiny little cottages, of all shades of blue, green, pink, gold, red, orange, and any other color imaginable, lined along perfectly carved streets made of a sparkling, pale blue stone, but all of them paling in comparison to the enormous, immaculate castle, positioned right in the center of the legendary land, shining regally silver in the sun's golden rays. Everything about the village shone brightly, like starlight, even during the day, and the colors of the bustling town surrounding the castle were appealing and beautiful, blending seamlessly with one another. They were still a good distance away, but the ham-hams could tell that this place was going to be even greater than they had imagined over the past twenty-four hours, if they were already stunned at a distance.

Heart pounding with a thrilled excitement, Hamtaro valiantly pointed his paw toward the legendary land and cried out, a huge smile crossing his face and making his chocolate eyes sparkle,

"Dreamland, ahoy!"

* * *

Watcher Cumulus, a tall, lean hamster with shaggy tan fur and a snow-white stomach, lounged lazily on his cloudy perch, yawning as he stared out with half-closed blue eyes over the vast expanse of sky spread out like a blanket before him. He had been on his platform outpost in the clouds since the previous morning, trading off with his brother, Watcher Stratus, only once, so he could catch a small wink of sleep, but the skies had been empty since Joy had departed in the early glow of the morning before, and this gig was getting rather dull.

"C'mon, Joy..." He grumbled into his paw, which was currently keeping his drooping head propped up. "You've gotta come back soon. The Princess told me that you were supposed to be back _last _night...but no, you're still not back, and I gotta stay up here watching until you get here..."

With a long yawn, the Watcher rolled over onto his back, so his head hung over the side of his platform, and his shaggy fur appeared to be flying off of his head. As far as the eye could see, there were clouds, clouds, and more clouds. Cumulus clouds, like his namesake, here and there, a few cirrus, some stratus, and some nimbus, just like the names of three of his four brothers. The excess of the floating white stuff was fitting for a place known as Dreamland, but, if you were assigned to an outpost to watch out for danger day in and day out, seeing them grew rather monotonous.

Bored almost to the point of falling asleep or crying, Cumulus set about trying to find shapes in the numerous, surrounding clouds, just to pass the time. "Hm..." He muttered, voice sounding slightly strained as his head lolled upside down, hanging casually off the outpost, paws crossed over his stomach restfully. "That one looks like one of papa's specialty hats...and that one looks like a mouse...ooh, there's a cat..._blech_."

Cumulus wrinkled his carnation-pink nose at the mention of rodent's natural enemy, and continued to scan the cerulean sky for more cloudy visions. Though he was alone, up on his lonely perch, Cumulous used one paw to trace the shapes in the white fluff, and he voiced his discoveries aloud to try and lift his receding spirits.

"There's a loyal ham knight, charging into battle...and over there...a hamster riding on the back of a _pig_? How strange! Let's see....there's an apple...or is it an orange? I can't tell....hm. A beautiful ham-girl..._alright_. Oh, and over there! Wow, those two little clouds are moving pretty quick...really quick, actually...right over Ol' Monstro..."

When he squinted his baby-blue eyes and looked closer, the two specks rocketing toward Dreamland came into better focus, though they were still undistinguishable. He flipped back over onto his stomach, ignoring the rush of blood to his head as he did so, and hopped to his feet, peering curiously into the distance to try and decipher what those 'clouds' were, exactly.

"Funny...those two clouds don't look so much like _clouds _anymore..." He stood up on his tippy-toes, brushing some stray stands of long tan fur from his eyes to clear his vision. "That one looks kind of like a bird with two brownish, goldish, orangish blobs on the back of it...and the other one...wow, weird! Is that a _dog_? Maybe a wolf...with wings?! And are those...._balloons_?! Okay, _definitely _not clouds..."

Now definitely perturbed and unable to take the suspense, Cumulus reached inside the pouch strapped across his back and drew out a small, golden telescope. He pointed and focused it in the direction of the shapes, and nearly toppled off the Watcher's platform once he realized what the objects were. "Joy's back!" He crowed, fatigue now forgotten as his sky-colored eyes began to sparkle with excitement. "Ah, lovely Joy. And she brought the brave heroes and the Guardian! Oh wow, wait til Nimbus hears about this! I've got to tell Princess Hamorette!"

Cramming the telescope back into his pack and pulling out the official Watcher's cap that his father had made for him, Cumulus scampered over to the far end of the platform toward the ladder that would take him back down into Dreamland, where he would share the delightful news with the Princess. Pushing his paws as fast as they would go down the rungs, Cumulus couldn't wait to see the look on Hamorette's face when she realized their efforts at gathering reinforcements had been rewarded...Dreamland would be safe again soon enough!

As his hind feet touched the shimmering blue streets, Cumulus took off like a shot, sprinting toward the castle as fast as his paws would carry them, shoving other hamsters out of the way if they happened to be in his path. Nothing was going to stop him.

"Urgent news, ladies and gentlehams! I've got to get to Princess Hamorette immediately!" He hollered as loud as he could, a common cry of the Watcher's when they spotted something that the Princess needed to be informed of. Hearing his shout, many pedestrians moved out of the way for him, used to Cumulus and his three identical brothers, all of them Watchers, dashing off to deliver news somewhere in Dreamland.

Cumulus reached Dreamland Castle (A/N: I'm creative, aren't I?) in record time, and skidded to a stop in front of the immense double doors, creating a small wave of dust. Without knocking, he pulled the heavy doors open and flung himself inside, landing with a thunk on the end of the brilliant red carpet and doing a few somersaults until he at last rolled to a stop a foot from a startled Princess Hamorette, seated on her throne, and her two loyal knights, peering at the clumsy Watcher with wide eyes.

"Watcher Cumulus!" Hamorette exclaimed, one paw over her thudding heart. "My, you almost gave me a heart attack! Whatever is the matter?"

"Princess Hamorette!" The disheveled Watcher announced, somewhat dizzily, waving one paw in the air as his head swayed from side to side and his hat fell off. "It's Joy! She's returned! And the brave heroes she went in search of are with her! They're flying this way, heading for the northern landing strip!"

At these words, an immense smile lit up Princess Hamorette's already luminous face, though it was a moment before she actually spoke. Almost trembling with excitement, she clapped her paws eagerly together and remarked, shining jade eyes brimming with happy tears, "Oh, wonderful! I've been so worried, but it appears as if my concerns were all for naught!" Smoothing her dress and pawing at her curls to make sure they were intact, the thrilled Princess tried to compose herself as she firmly instructed Cumulus, back on his paws already, "Now, head to the northern landing strip and tell Joy to bring the brave heroes to me at once! I wish to meet them here, without too much fuss from the townfolk."

"Yes, my lady!" An equally as excited Cumulus bowed and beamed, before jamming his hat back on his head, turning sharply on his heel and sprinting out the door, slamming it shut behind him before he dashed off toward the dock, hoping he would beat Joy and her visitors there.

Hamorette heaved an immense, sweet sigh of relief as she relaxed against her regal chair. The knights, on either side of her, exchanged knowing glances with the other. They were excited to meet these heroes, the triumphant hamsters from Hamwall, plus the Guardian. Perhaps they could pick up a few extra skills...

"Oh, my knights!" Hamorette exclaimed joyfully, smiling brightly at each one of them, the glaring sunlight pooling in from the highly arched windows illuminating her angelic features even further. "Joy has succeeded! Now we stand a fighting chance against Steel, with these powerful, new allies on our side!" She sat straighter in her chair and could not wipe the smile from her face. "The dark cloud will be lifted from Dreamland shortly."

"And sleep will be a safe haven once again!" The red-eyed knight pumped one arm in the air, and, although his face wasn't visible, it was easy to tell by the impish gleam in his crimson eyes that he was grinning.

The blue-eyed knight turned his head to peer out one of the windows, sunlight making his black armor shine with an ethereal golden hue. For the first time in over a day, his heart was not in turmoil, and was, instead, more at ease. "Fear not, Fury..." He mumured lowly, under his breath, as a small smile dressed the handsome face beneath his helmet.

"...You'll be safe soon. I promise."

* * *

As Dreamland drew closer and closer, the heartbeat of the ham-hams began to increase sharply and the wonder in their eyes glowed brighter. Soon, Joy had expertly pulled her dove to a stop on the landing strip, leaving plenty of room beside her for the Guardian to slide in as well.

The great beast did so, and pulled the basket to a somewhat bumpy stop on the edge of the legendary land in the clouds, barred from the actual hustle and bustle by a wall circling the entire area of Dreamland and two tall, silver doors, carved through with intricate patterns. Too keep from floating off again, Howdy and Oxnard had chewed through the ropes of a few balloons, sending them off into the sky, so the basket rested soundly on the landing strip.

As soon as he was sure they weren't airborne, Stan threw himself off the dove and hugged the pale blue ground. "Land! I've never been so happy to see you!" He planted a big kiss on the stone, eternally glad that the journey was over.

Joy slid down after him, and gave her dove a pat on the head that sent it flying dutifully off toward the coop on the other side of Dreamland, it's mission now done. After plucking the Staff of Dreams from it's holster, Joy ambled over to the basket, where the ham-hams needed help getting out. Hamtaro and Bijou hopped off the back of the Guardian, who, with a satisfied grunt, morphed quickly back into Siren before anyone on the other side of the doors could see her in legendary form.

Soon, the ham-hams, with Boss carrying a still dozing Snoozer over his shoulder, were all standing, openmouthed, before the beautiful silver gates, the only thing left keeping them from Dreamland. Joy placed her paws on the shining bars and peered curiously inside, muttering, "One of the Watchers must have seen us arrive...so they should be here soon to let us in..."

"Joy! Joy! Hey!"

Joy's attention was directed onto Watcher Cumulus, barreling right on cue toward the ham-hams on swift paws. He skidded to a breathless stop in front of the gates, creating another tiny dust cloud that made little Penelope cough. His sky-blue eyes, partially obscured by his heavy fur, were gleaming excitedly and a brilliant smile was spread across his tan face. Joy's face lit up when she saw him, a good friend of hers. "Watcher Cumulus!" She cheered.

"You've returned!" Cumulus tittered chipperly, turning his bright eyes onto the ham-hams, who were waiting anxiously to be let inside just a few inches behind an ecstatic Joy. "And you've brought the brave heroes! _Hamtast!"_

"That's us!" Hamtaro replied with a grin. "Your friendly neighborhood hero-hams!"

Cumulus rifled through his pack and soon drew out a large keyring, full of shining multicolored keys, and quickly filtered through each key before selecting a silver one that corresponded with the padlock latched onto the gates. "Hold on...I'll let you all in!" He jammed the key into the lock, and turned it with a distinct click. He pulled on the doors while Joy pushed, and soon, they were open and the glorious Dreamland was at last free to enter.

"Welcome to Dreamland! Where dreams are lived and made!" Cumulus greeted them boldly, stepping off to the side and bowing deeply, removing his hat and holding it over his chest, wanting to look respectful in the presence of greatness.

The ham-hams entered the amazing land with wide eyes and mouths agape. Inside, it was even more breathtaking than it was at a distance. Glittering blue streets, the homey cottages and shops, looking like they came straight from a fairytale, arranged in neat, perfect rows, all of them eventually leading to the glistening silver castle in the center of town, still largely visible now that the ham-hams had landed. Hamsters of all colors and sizes, ages and species, meandered up and down each colorful street, pausing to glance into a book shop, or heading into a tailor to fix the hem on a dress. In the distance, and at the top of at least one hundred steps, a beautiful, dome-like building stood, with lustorus paintings of the sun and clouds on it, another, identical building standing directly next to it, up another tall flight of stairs, though this building was decorated with the moon and stars. Scads of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' escaped the ham-hams mouths, and they stood for a long moment in the gateway, just admiring the sheer wonder of it all.

"Eet ees zo beautiful!" Bijou marveled, the first ham-ham to speak up, paws on both sides of her face and blue eyes shimmering. "I feel like we 'ave just stepped eento a fairytale! Zis is _wondachu_!"

"I'll say!" Maxwell exclaimed. "It's even better than the books described!"

"_Zuzuzu_..." Snoozer mumbled in his sleep. "This...feels....like home..._zuzuzu_..."

They ogled it for another good minute or so, occasionally making an adoring comment or two, as a few of the Dreamland residents, dressed in medieval/victorian style clothes, began to notice the strange visitors standing in front of the open gates, exchanging a few curious murmurs here and there. The ham-hams looked content staying where they were, just staring, but Cumulus had informed Joy that the Princess wanted to meet with the heroes immediately, and she didn't want to disappoint her ruler. Cumulus excused himself to return to his post, and he closed the gates behind the ham-hams before he departed, leaving the balloon basket sitting forlornly outside.

"I hate to interrupt your marveling, ham-hams!" Joy stepped out in front of them, and all of their attention immediately snapped back to her as she informed them, holding the Staff of Dreams carefully against her chest as her amber eyes glitterd with excitement. "But Watcher Cumulus has informed me that Princess Hamorette wishes to see you all immediately. If you will follow me, I will take you to see her in the castle."

"Oh boy!" Pashmina squealed, jumping up and down with Penelope imitating her enthusiastically to the side. "A real life _Princess_! Oh, I can't wait! I bet she's beautiful, just like all the storybooks say!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Stan looked the happiest of all the ham-hams by this news, however. After that terrifying dove-back ride, he needed to see a friendly, gorgeous hamgirl to ease his still-churning stomach, and just thinking about the sure-to-be angelesque Hamorette made him eager to try some of his new pick-up lines on her. Although, he realized, wooing the Princess was going to be a difficult task, what with Sandy watching him like a hawk every stinkin' moment...

"Alright, let's go, ham-hams!" Boss declared proudly, pumping the first that wasn't holding Snoozer in place on his broad shoulder. "We've got an evil hamster's tail to kick, and the sooner we get rid of that nightmare the better!"

"Yep-P!" The ham-hams chorused in agreement, though they still found themselves somewhat struck-dumb by the glorious Dreamland. There would be time for sight-seeing and window shopping, as the case was for the hamgirls, later...once their business regarding the evil, mysterious Steel and his nightmarish attacks was completed.

Joy led them through the pale blue streets, used to the glowing, busy nature of her native home. The ham-hams tried to look professional and heroic as they marched behind the Protector of Slumber, but found themselves lapsing into excited giggles, spouting comments of amazement, or just staring with gaping mouths as they saw even more of the dream-like Dreamland. It truly was like a place just out of a dream. As they walked in a single-file line, several pedestrians stopped what they were doing to stare, and the ham-hams caught a few of their whispers, some who had no clue what was going on, and others who had some idea.

"Who are those strangers?"

"I thought no outsiders were allowed inside Dreamland! They must be villains!"

"But Protector Joy is with them...she would not bring evil inside the walls of Dreamland."

"These must be those brave heroes that Princess Hamorette sent for! I heard the Watchers talking about it yesterday!"

"Hm...they look fairly average for heroes."

"These hamsters will restore sleep to it's natural balance!"

"But...but they're so..._normal_."

"That dastardly ham Steel won't stand a ghost of a _chance _against _them_!"

While the praise made them beam and some of the doubts made them inwardly flinch, the ham-hams enthusiasm could not be doused. Here they were, on another whirlwind of an adventure, out to stop yet another evil hamster from gaining too much power. And they could already tell that although this journey would be perilous and more dangerous than their last epic adventure, they were ready for whatever Steel had to throw at them.

Joy stopped them in front of stairs to the castle. By now, a small mob was following them, curious and eager to find out what the ham-hams were doing in Dreamland. She told them, in a voice that the crowd trailing them couldn't hear. "You ham-hams may head inside now...Princess Hamorette is likely waiting for you. You needn't knock. Just remember to bow and kneel with respect, and you'll be just fine..."

Upon seeing their distressed expressions at continuing on without her, Joy giggled, and continued, "Don't worry, I'll be just behind you. I'm going to ease the minds of these hamsters following us first...I must tell them that help has arrived!"

Following her orders, the ham-hams trooped, now in a huddled group, up the even, marble steps, until they stood right before the massive oak doors. Their heartbeats began to quicken as they realized what was waiting for them on the other side. A princess...and a new, thrilling opportunity.

"Here we go, ham-hams..." Hamtaro told them quietly, while Joy, behind them, addressed the crowd that had gathered, although her voice was just a hum in their ears.

Boss handed Snoozer off to Oxnard and Howdy, and he, along with Hamtaro moved forward and placed their paws firmly on the door handles, heaving them open with twin grunts, arms screaming with the effort. The spacious, simple, but still stunning throne room met their wide eyes, and they took a moment to take in the beautiful, silver and gold checkered floor, the velvety red carpet, and the high, beautiful windows, letting the glimmering sunlight filter in. But it was the angelic hamster seated in the throne at the end of the carpet, golden curls agleam and jade eyes both fierce and warm, that soon had their full attention.

She was every bit as lovely as Joy had claimed, so much so she almost glowed. Her perfectly etched features were kind and welcoming, set into a snow-white face, though her curls and ears were a rich golden color. The dress she wore made the girls gasp both enviously and admiringly; it was a deep magenta color, and made out of the finest fabric, soft and splendidly made. Stan almost fainted at the sight of her, but was too speechless to try one of his lines.

"Come closer, great heroes!" Hamorette called invitingly in her whimsical voice, throwing her arms out wide. "We have been waiting anxiously for your arrival!"

Not wanting to disappoint, the awed ham-hams shuffled forward in a large cluster, Hamtaro, Boss, Bijou, and Maxwell at the front, and Siren, Cappy, and Penelope, the three youngest, huddled, struggling to see, in the back. Soon, the ham-hams stood about two feet from the intimidating princess and her regal throne, and, remembering what Joy had told them, bowed collectively. "Hamha, Princess!" They greeted in unison, hearts racing.

"Hamha to you all, as well," She replied, eyes sparkling. She bowed slightly at them as well, as she introduced herself, "My name is Princess Hamorette, daughter of Hamelot's King Hamvil, and I am the ruler of Dreamland. I am pleased to welcome you to my noble kingdom, and hope that you will find Dreamland to your liking while you are here."

The ham-hams mumbled thank-Q's, too nervous and intimidated by the ruler to be talkative. Just one look around the immense room struck them speechless. Luckily, Maxwell remembered his manners and declared smoothly, the most eloquent of the bunch except for a too-nervous Dexter, as well as the one that knew the most about being respectfully formal in the presence of royalty, "It is a honor to meet you, Princess Hamorette."

"The honor is mine," Hamorette returned sweetly, smiling, impressed by his speech. "I cannot begin to express to you how much your help will mean to Dreamland. Steel is a terror, and my knights and I are pleased to have your aid in bringing about his defeat!"

For the first time, the ham-hams noticed the silently imposing, coal-black knights stationed on either side of Hamorette's throne. Dexter jumped slightly as both of the knights placed a paw over their hearts in a stony greeting, as he had thought they were just empty suits of armor. The knights eyes, red and blue respectively, were clearly visible, but every other inch of them was shrouded in black, metallic mystery. Just seeing them made the ham-hams a bit apprehensive, and Hamtaro nervously eyed the gleaming swords holstered at their sides. Silent and scary...a very good combination for knights, but terrifying for those they came across.

Maxwell, serving as spokesham, spoke up again, "We are glad to help, Princess Hamorette. If defeating Steel is how we can make sleep safe for hamsters again, then we will do our very best to stop him and his tyranny!" Sandy silently marveled at her boyham's assertiveness.

Hamorette chuckled, but her voice was grateful. "I am very glad to hear you say that. Now, you have had a long journey, and we must take care of getting you settled in before we start talking about the more serious matters at paw. I would like to get to know each and every one of you during your stay, but first, I would like _you _to meet two of the most important hamsters in the world to me, whom I consider loyal subjects, as well as great friends. They will help get you accustomed to the castle and Dreamland while you are here."

At this, the knights straightened themselves, making Dexter jump again. They had been expecting this, and were prepared to fulfill their Princess's wishes. Princess Hamorette got to her feet, though she remained at her throne, and cleared her throat. She began, musical voice filling the room and ringing off every crevice,

"Noble ham-hams, please allow me to introduce you to the two bravest, strongest, and most loyal of all the Dreamland Knights!" Princess Hamorette motioned proudly to the knights, stationed rigidly on either side of her gleaming throne. "These two are the noblest and fiercest two knights in all of Dreamland, and have proven themselves on many occasions. Please, my knights, remove your helmets and familiarize yourself with these brave hams!"

The two knights obediently reached up to unfasten their helmets and reveal their identities to the eager onlookers. But none of the ham-hams, not even genius Maxwell and sharp Dexter, expected what came next.

"Ham-hams, may I introduce you to the bravest hamsters in all of Dreamland...Knights of the Royal Family...Sirs Sprint and Screech!"

Upon hearing the second name, Siren, who had been mostly hidden behind Panda and Oxnard, pushed roughly by them to stand alone at the front of the pack. The knight on Hamorette's left removed his helmet first, revealing a tall, good-looking hamster with heavy bangs and mahogany ears, a similar-colored spot covering one brilliant red eye. He tossed Siren a surprised look, but it was the other knight, removing his helmet slowly, who had her undivided attention.

His helmet fell to the floor with a clatter as he saw her standing not two feet away, absolutely stunned. His piercing blue eyes, ice-cold but somehow gentle, were wide, light grey ears alert, and his mouth was agape. He brushed tufts of his snow-white fur out of his eyes, as if clearing cloudy vision, or to make sure he really was seeing what he thought he was. The resemblance between them was striking, other than the black lines on Siren's face and his lean, athletic build.

Confusion consumed the room for a moment, until realization dawned swiftly on the ham-hams, though the other knight, Sprint, looked perplexed and Hamorette looked extremely puzzled. After a beat, Sprint understood what was going on, but Hamorette was still lost, looking confusedly at Screech for an explanation. The ham-hams exchanged wide-eyed, stunned looks, totally shocked by this startling discovery.

All astonished eyes fell on the two similar-looking hamsters, standing only about a foot and a half apart, waiting for something to happen between them. An agonizing minute passed, silent and tense, the two grey-white hamsters just staring at one another with astounded blue eyes of different shades, unable to move or speak in the thick silence.

"That's..." Cappy murmured, though he was unable to finish his sentence. None of the other ham-hams could even form a word, much less a coherent sentence, especially not Siren. "..._that's_..."

"Screech?!" Siren finally demanded, voice shooting through two octaves and echoing shrilly in the massive chamber, her paws shaking.

Screech's jolting eyes widened even further, as if he had been convinced he was looking at a mirage until now. "Siren...?" He wondered aloud, voice a mixture of both bewilderment and awe, as well as an overlaying happiness.

"Siren's _brother_!" The ham-hams finished, breathless.

* * *

**CFB:** HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! ~_lightning flashes_~

I may just be flattering myself and you weren't really surprised, but I hope I at least caught you kinda off guard.

**Next time:** Screech _and _Sprint?! How did _they _wind up in Dreamland, especially when Sprint was in the Dark Lands just a few weeks ago and Screech is supposed to be back in Halem? Hear _some _of their story next time! (They're both characters from _GT_, if you recall, or uh...don't...if you didn't read it my surprise means nothing...) And more with Laura...Roberto offers to help her search for Hamtaro. But not nicely. But what do we normally expect from Roberto anyway?

Review...please! Thanks for the hits and favorites...keep them coming.


	5. Prelude to Nightmares

**CFB**: _**ATTENTION, ATTENTION!!!**_ AS MUCH AS IT PHYSICALLY PAINS ME TO DO THIS (and it does, trust me....) I AM _HALVING _MY CHAPTERS. So they're shorter now, to make it easier for you to read, and easier to update. I'm DOING AWAY WITH MY TWENTY PAGE CHAPTER MINIMUM. And maybe I'll get more reviews. Hint hint. And I meant to have this up yesterday, but I had to fix my internet, so I'm sorry it's a bit late!

**Thanks:** Sandyandmaxwellfanatic and supercomputer276, for reviewing yet again. Haha, I'm glad you were surprised. Hope you continue to enjoy this fic!

**This time:** What the _heke _are Sprint and Screech doing here? Siren reunites with her big brother at long last, but how does a certain friend of hers feel about that? Plus, the ham-hams have some fun looking around Dreamland Castle. But what is Steel planning next? Roberto also has a proposition for Laura that takes her off guard...

**This chapter is dedicated to sandyandmaxwellfanatic for being such a good reviewer. I'm honored that you read this story, it means a lot.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

* * *

**Chapter 4:** _Prelude to Nightmares_

"Have...have you two _met_?" Hamorette, looking between Siren and Screech with confused jade eyes, questioned aloud.

"_Met_, my lady?" Screech asked, half-laughing, with a brilliant smile on his face that caught the attention of every hamgirl within two feet of him. "This is my little sister! I haven't seen her in ages!"

Siren beamed joyfully and dashed over to Screech, meeting him halfway in an ecstatic embrace, though running into his armor was both awkward and somewhat painful. Amidst the many emotions swirling around her, she savored the moment of being in her brother's comforting arms again. She felt her eyes begin to burn with the threat of tears, but she held them back, managing a weak, "I didn't think I'd ever see you again..." that came out muffled against the fur of his neck.

Screech chuckled, patting her on the head affectionately as they released one another. He returned, pretending to be offended, "Have a little faith in me, sis! I promised we'd see each other again, and I _knew _we would! How could you doubt your big brother?"

"Well, getting out of Halem is pretty hard, Screech!" Siren protested, still in disbelief that Screech, her hero, was standing here in the fur. "I had to get _banished _to get out. So how did you manage to get out of there and wind up _here_, in Dreamland of all places? _And _a knight?"

"It's a long story," Screech laughed, waving a dismissive paw. "I'll have to tell you later, once we get all of this business talk finished."

Both Hamorette and Sprint watched the bantering siblings with amused, smiling expressions, now that the princess knew what was going on, and the ham-hams watched with wide grins of their own, glad to see their newest member reunited with the brother she had spoken fondly of on many occasions. If Siren hadn't been acting like herself, she certainly had returned to form now, perhaps even more cheerful than she normally was.

"That's so sweet!" Pashmina cooed under her breath to Bijou, who giggled lightly in response, both of their eyes excited. "I don't think I've ever seen Siren look so happy!"

"Well, between you and _moi_, zat bruzzer of 'ers is quite ze looker, _non_?" Bijou had to admit this as she whispered back, eyes flickering up onto the lean, handsome Screech for a moment, and then back again. "'E looks _just _as a knight from a fairytale would!"

"I wouldn't mind being a damsel in distress if he was the one saving me!"

"_Ooh_, me neizer!"

Dexter and Howdy overheard the two hamgirls whispers, and it took a lot of restraint not to charge up to Screech and give him a piece of their minds. Hamtaro, too, was inexplicably irked by Bijou's comments about the dashing brother of Siren.

The rest of the ham-hams watched the heartfelt family reunion with warm hearts of their own, but Panda found himself feeling slightly out of place, and a bit cold. He had only heard about the valiant Screech, whenever Siren mentioned him, but, seeing him in reality was quite a different experience from hearing about him in stories. Panda felt like he were being pushed out of some exclusive circle by a storybook character come to life, and left behind, alone. It wasn't a good feeling, but he put on his best happy face for appearance's sake, not wanting to bring the cheer down a peg just because he was feeling a bit blue.

Screech, unable to wipe the smile from his face, turned proudly to Princess Hamorette and placed one strong, proud paw on Siren's shoulder, as if presenting her to a large crowd. As the Princess, even more intimidating close-up, eyed her, Siren managed a meek wave of her paw, suddenly more embarrassed than she had ever been. "My lady, I would like to introduce you to my sister, Siren. Siren, this is Princess Hamorette. I've been her loyal knight for the past year."

"Any family of Screech is a welcome guest in Dreamland anytime!" Hamorette nodded in a friendly fashion to Siren, who murmured her thanks with a scarlet face. "He has mentioned you on many occasions. You really are a cute little ham!" The compliment made Siren turn fire-engine red, and she wished the gold and silver tile would swallow her on the spot.

The beautiful Princess seemed to notice something as she looked at Siren, and, after her greeting, she leaned closer to the younger ham with narrowed jade eyes, inspecting her intently. Siren flinched slightly under Hamorette's gaze, intimidated and uneasy by the attention. However, after a moment of silent analysis, Hamorette plopped back down onto her throne and said, voice cheerful and a twinkle in her eye, "And if I'm not mistaken, those black markings on your face indicate that you are the Guardian of all hamster-kind, correct, Siren? A wonderful gift has been bestowed upon you!"

Now blushing even deeper, Siren nodded and mumbled, "Yeah....that's me."

Sprint appeared quite surprised, and even a bit disturbed by this news, but it was Screech who was the most downright shocked. "_HEKE_?!" He shrieked, voice crashing and rebounding against the walls, as he whirled his sister around to stare her straight in the face, bewildering both her and the ham-hams, watching wide-eyed a foot away. "You're the _Guardian_, Siren!? When did _this _happen?! And _how _did this happen?!" His piercing blue eyes were incredulous, but also slightly perplexed that his sister was the Guardian he had read about only in legends.

"You were _there_, Screech..." Siren reminded him softly, hoping he would calm down. "You saw when these black marks showed up on my face; it's why I got banished in the first place. They look just like the Guardian's. I thought you'd figure it out eventually, since you read about the legends too, and saw what happened to me firstpaw..."

He looked confused.

"_And _you studied the Hamwallian legends and pictures of the Guardian _here_...at length," Sprint pointed out dryly, somewhat annoyed that this discovery could have been uncovered sooner, had Screech put two and two together.

The confusion deepened, producing a wrinkle in his forehead.

"_And _there is a large painting of the Guardian hanging in your room..." Hamorette added, slightly put-off by his cluelessness.

His eyes glazed over, lost. There was a long pause. Screech looked densely blank for a moment, before saying, brow furrowed, though he seemed to have come to some kind of realization on the matter, "Well, now, looking back on it, it kind of makes sense..."

The ham-hams exchanged knowing looks and many shook their heads. Apparently, denseness was a family trait, as Siren was also known to miss things that were common knowledge or very easy to figure out. Though, they were already starting to think that maybe Screech was worse off in the smarts department. Bijou and Pashmina glanced at each other with crushing disappointment, Pashmina grumbling, "_Figures_...no ham that handsome can be smart at the same time."

"'Ow upsetting..."Bijou easily related the situation to Hamtaro. He was good-looking, charming, and the perfect candidate for a boyham...it was just too bad and heartbreaking that he didn't know what one was.

Screech however, was not put off by the comments about his brain capacity, and clapped his little sister firmly on the shoulder, a gesture she replicated happily, though with less vigor. "Way to _go_, sis! Look at _us_, huh? Two banished outcasts from Halem, one becoming a Dreamland Knight, the other becoming the Guardian! Our parents would be so proud of us right now!"

"Too bad we can never see them again."

Though she hated to interrupt the family bonding, Princess Hamorette cleared her throat loudly, and the entire throne room fell silent. "It warms my heart to see a brother and sister reunited after such a long time, but, I'm afraid, we _must _settle the task at paw, and that is defeating Steel. Once you get settled in, however, you will have plenty of time to catch up with one another, and I sincerely hope that you do."

Siren could sense the seriousness behind the kindness, and, excusing herself, hurried back to stand with the rest of the ham-hams. Screech, face reverting from good cheer back to stern stiffness, bowed and said, "My apologies, Princess, for the interruption."

She waved him off, and he loyally returned to his spot by her throne, though he did toss a playful wink over his shoulder at his little sister before he faded back into his knight's persona, staring strictly ahead with fierce, penetrating blue eyes, mouth set into a firm line. Both knights, however, kept their helmets off. Princess Hamorette, pleased that business could proceed, remarked, "One of Dreamland's best Watchers, Watcher Nimbus, witnessed your defeat of Spyke at Hamwall last month. He only had good things to say about your abilities, and I am pleased to know that you are willing to offer us your services in the fight against Steel. Now, if I may know the names of you brave heroes?"

"It's our pleasure!" Hamtaro spoke up, grinning widely. "My name's Hamtaro, and this here is Bijou..." He rattled off each name, the ham-hams bowing at Hamorette as he introduced them. Hamorette looked like she was making an effort to memorize names and faces, and was confident that she would be able to remember them all. She knew the name of each resident in Dreamland; twelve or so more names would be no challenge for her.

"Steel is a dastardly hamster, ham-hams!" Hamorette confessed once all the introductions were made. "Likely stronger than this Spyke character was, and we know quite a bit about both of them. With the power to control sleep and nightmares, he is, as of right now, the most unstoppable hamster in the world. He has tricks up his sleeve...tricks that would make your fur curl. He truly is the ultimate villain, though I am _sure _that heroes of your caliber are up for the challenge...correct?" She asked this imploringly, eying them all with her expectant gaze.

"You bet!" Hamtaro replied facing the Princess with defiance. "Ham-hams are up for any challenge!" Once the words left his mouth, there was no turning back, and the ham-hams knew it. They were locked-in for another daring, harrowing adventure...and it both thrilled and frightened them.

Dexter was intrigued enough to raise a meek paw and step timidly forward. "Your majesty...how is it you know this Steel fellow so well? I do not mean to pry...but it would be nice to know exactly who we will be dealing with."

Hamorette's jade eyes faded into a look of melancholy, though her mouth was turned down into a frown of concern, as if remembering was painful for her. Her knights stiffened even more, glancing up at her warily, as if expecting her to deny Dexter's request. Dexter himself blushed bright red and regretted asking, but he was relieved when she answered, voice distant, containing a faint twinge of nostalgia,

"...Steel and I were good friends, once. The summer days were full of our laughter. Our fathers were the very best of hammos, which made it easier for us to see each other. But that was before he began to call himself Steel, and before he harbored his intense hatred for Dreamland, my father and...myself. For a couple of years now, he has been dreaming of revenge. And the perfect way of exacting revenge on Dreamland is stealing the Stone of Slumber, and using it for evil purposes."

Since she had answered that question, Dexter, more confident now, decided to ask another. "But why exactly would he want revenge on _you,_ your majesty?"

Her face darkened. Dexter, taken aback, wished for the second time that he could retract his words, and the ham-hams, as a whole, felt guilty. He was about to stammer his apologies when the stricken Princess replied, voice somewhat sad, "...That is a more personal matter I do not wish to discuss at this time, though I must say...his _reasons_ are understandable, but his dastardly _actions_ are not and he must be stopped because of that."

"My...my apologies, your majesty!" Dexter managed to choke out, bowing deeply to emphasize his words, "I...I would not have asked had I known it would upset you."

Hamorette smiled, pleased, and restored to her normal good cheer. "It's quite alright, Dexter. Now, we will not be launching our attack against Steel straight away. I am going to need time to designate the knights I wish to have accompany you, and work out a sufficient plan; one that calls for as little violence as possible, and gets Fury, the hamnapped Protector of Slumber, home safely. We would, of course, ask you to assist in the planning, but, I'm afraid, Steel is tricky, and no one knows his ruses better than my knights and I, though we will familiarize you with the plan before we go through with it. While you are here, I want you to enjoy Dreamland as best you can. I believe we will be ready to attack Steel two nights from now. Does that sit well with you, ham-hams? You are free to roam Dreamland as you wish until then."

Surprised that she had already figured so many things out, the ham-hams couldn't do anything but nod in agreement. However, Maxwell was a bit perturbed. "If you'll pardon my objection, Princess Hamorette..." He stepped forward, hoping not to offend her, as she watched him carefully. "But...are you sure you don't want us to help form a strategy? I don't mean to question your authority, and we may not know anything about Steel, but we do know what _we_ are capable of. Knowing our skills and having our input may actually be beneficial."

Hamorette absorbed this silently, eyes clouding with thought. Maxwell breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she didn't appear affronted. After a moment of consideration, the Princess replied earnestly, "My, I'd never thought of it like that! Surely having some of you meet with the knights and I to form the plan will be helpful. So...Maxwell, was it?" He nodded. "Very well then, Maxwell...you will act as a delegate for our strategizing, and attend all the planning sessions over the next couple of days. Is that alright with you?"

Maxwell pretended to look like he was thinking it over, but it was clear that he would not pass up on such an opportunity. Sandy, however, standing silently with the rest of the ham-hams, was trying to send him telekinetic messages telling him to refuse. She had held high hopes that she and Maxwell would have at least _some _time to spend together while in a setting as romantic as Dreamland, but if he took the Princess up on her offer to help with the plans, then surely his time would be totally consumed between that and learning how Dreamland functioned. "_Please, Maxy..._" She inwardly pleaded, squeezing her eyes shut, as if that would enhance her prayers. "_Just say no-P_!"

However, the tall, booksmart ham would not relinquish an opportunity to show off some of his expertise. "I'll be glad to help, Princess! Thank-Q!" He bowed deeply, and then shuffled back to stand with the rest of the group. Sandy shot hm a forlorn look, but he was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice.

_"So much for my fun time with Maxwell..."_ Sandy thought, her ears drooping.

Boss stepped forward next, declaring bravely, "I've seen enough moles fight over tunnel space to know a bit about this kind of stuff. If you'll let me, I'd like to lend a paw in the planning as well!"

Noting his determination, Hamorette nodded and said, "Alright, that sounds quite fair. Does anyone else wish to assist us in this manner?"

The rest of the ham-hams were quiet. Siren figured that everyone, even the Princess whom she had just met, could guesstimate her abilities, and no one else had any real experience or knowledge of planning a daring search-and-rescue/recovery mission, with, quite possibly, a bit of fighting on the side. It was best to leave those things to the hamsters who knew about them. Plus, neither she nor a silent Hamtaro were exactly confident in their ability to strategize.

Seeing no more paws in the air, Hamorette clapped her own together and proudly proclaimed, "Splendid! Then it appears that we have this all settled. Oh!" She suddenly remembered something. "Though there _is_ the matter of payment..."

"Payment, shmayment!" Hamtaro waved a paw, the rest of the ham-hams shaking their heads with him. "We don't need anything in return for this, Princess Hamorette. All we want to do is help make sleep safe again and look around Dreamland! We're hams of simple tastes, you see!" He smiled cheerily, the ham-hams in agreement.

Hamorette, at first, didn't believe him, and placed the statement as modesty, but as she glimpsed the genuine smiles on the ham-hams' faces, she realized they weren't kidding. This thoroughly befuddled her. They didn't want _any _payments for their services? Not only were they brave hamsters, capable of defeated a great evil, they were kind and generous as well! She had really struck gold in the reinforcements department.

"Are you certain, ham-hams? She asked warily, just to be sure of their selfless intentions. "I am more than willing to offer you something for the service you are doing to Dreamland...the _world_, even."

Stan stepped forward nonchalantly, voice breezing, "Well, if you _insist_..." Before he could finish, Sandy grabbed him by the arm and jerked him roughly backwards, so he landed smack dab on his tail on the hard floor. "_Ouchichi_..." Stan sat up and rubbed his sore backside, Hamorette watching amusedly, though she appeared a bit confused by the antics of the twins. The knights, upon seeing Stan step forward, had leaned forward with their paws on their sword hilts, but the action hadn't been necessary.

"Like, Siren's brother will _totally _decapitate you if you get too near the Princess, Stan! Stop being such a flirt!"

"_Sandyyyy_....don't yell at me in front of a gorgeous babe! It's so uncool!"

"Don't call her a gorgeous babe, Stan! She's a princess!" Surprisingly, it was Sandy, supported by Pashmina, Bijou, and Siren, who yelled this at the cowering tiger-striped ham, who mumbled apologies as Penelope squealed in his face a stream of angry, "Ookwee!'s"

The Princess giggled. "My, you are all certainly charming hamsters! I am eager to speak with you all on a more personal level. However, I'm afraid I must be leaving!" She briskly got to her feet, but, instead of ducking out the doors on either side of the room, she glided toward the ham-hams, stopping before Hamtaro and extending her paw for him to shake, smiling kindly. "I don't think I will ever be able to thank you enough for your help, but I'm glad to have you all here!"

She sounded completely sincere and Hamtaro, blushing faintly, returned the pawshake and remarked, "Aw, cats...it's nothing!"

Princess Hamorette took the time to shake each and one of their paws and thank them all individually, before she bade them farewell again. "Screech and Sprint will see to it that you get to your rooms and are able to find yourselves around the castle. Joy will help also, if she returns soon. Please enjoy your stay in the castle, and enjoy Dreamland!" With one final smile and a small, regal wave of her paw, the princess disappeared through the left door and it creaked shut behind her.

As she left, much of the imposing air in the room was drained, and the ham-hams breathed a collective sigh of relief, and Oxnard, nerves wrecked, collapsed on the floor, clutching his seed to his chest. Screech and Sprint, no longer required to be rigidly obedient, picked up their discarded helmets and put them on the arms of the throne, not in any mood to wear them when they were off-duty and it was summertime. Approaching the ham-hams, Screech said jovially, "I'm glad my little sister has made such good _hammos_! I was worried she'd have some trouble adjusting to life outside the colony."

He and his crimson-eyed companion stopped just short of the ham-hams, and, as he got closer, the hamgirls, save Siren, couldn't keep from swooning slightly. Quite a dashing hamster, he carried himself with a confident, purposeful stride and, even if he had a brain the size of a fleck of dust, they still greatly enjoyed admiring his handsome features and playful, lopsided grin. How lucky Hamorette was to have such a dutiful ham by her side at all times!

"As you heard, my name is Screech. I've been a knight in Dreamland for about a year now."

"And I'm Sprint!" The other piped up, grinning cheerfully. He was also quite good-looking, with his crimson irises and rich mahogany fur pattern, and Siren couldn't help but notice _that_ fact while all the other girls were drawn to the masculine quality Screech emanated. Sprint continued, "I showed up here about a month or so before Screech, but he passed me in ranking pretty quick. Though, I must say, we are pretty evenly matched...I'll beat him again soon, I'm sure..."

"In your dreams!" Screech countered, though the banter was good-natured. It was plain to see that the two knights were very good friends.

"Did someone say dreams?"

Surprised by the voice prompting them from the main doorway, all the hamsters whirled to see Joy approaching them, twirling the Staff of Dreams idly in one paw while humming chipper tune. As soon as she reached the ham-hams, she turned her expectant amber eyes onto each one of them and asked, sensing from the looks on the ham-ham's faces that something big had happened while she was addressing the residents of Dreamland outside,

"...What did I miss?"

* * *

Lunchtime was a somber time for Laura and Kana, as well as June and Kylie. They had discovered that not only were Hamtaro and Oxnard missing, but Pashmina and Penelope were too, which made the four girls suspicious, but more than that, incredibly sad. Mika apologized profusely to three of them for their loss, as she had a gerbil she loved dearly and would hate to see disappear, though she skipped offering condolences to June out of fear. Gina took mercy on them and didn't invite them to eat lunch with her group again, lest she incite another fight. Travis offered his condolences, as did nearly everyone else in their group of friends, save Reese, who rarely spoke, and Roberto, whom no one had seen around.

"I just don't understand why Hamtaro would run away..." Laura wondered sorrowfully, as she half-heartedly ate her home-made sandwich while the four girls sat in a small grieving circle on the grass outside. "And I would have heard someone come into my room to steal him. It's just so bizarre!"

June, who had put her vendetta aside for the sake of mourning Pashmina, sighed into her soup thermos. "I know what you mean. Pashmina always looks totally happy at home, and we have so much fun together! If she wanted to escape, she would have tried long before now. It doesn't make any sense at all."

"Maybe someone is going around and stealing hamsters?" Kylie wondered. "If they are, that's really low! Poor Penelope..."

Kana shook her head. "I doubt that. We talked about it this morning; who would go around and steal hamsters, when you can buy them for a couple bucks down at the pet store? Maybe it's just an awful coincidence. They're cooped up in cages all day...maybe they just wanted some fresh air, and wandered away and got lost on the way back to their cages. I know Oxnard is goofy enough to do that..." Remembering only made her eyebrows knit together as she tried to keep herself from crying any more.

June thought about that. "I kind of hope so...it sounds weird, but that would be better than having them stolen. That way, we have a good chance of finding them, or there's a good chance they'll just find their way back on their own!"

Laura wished their optimistic suggestions would help relieve her of some of the consuming sorrow and the pain in her chest. The entire day so far had been one she wished she could reset. In Math class, the teacher Laura had once thought of as nice had sprung a surprise pop quiz on the first lesson they had endured in Algebra, and Laura was sure she hadn't known a single question. Matters had only grown worse as the day progressed, as she had accidentally tripped a large eighth grader in her haste to get to English class, and she had been called a name that would earn her a firm lecture if she dared utter it at home. The feud between her friends seemed to have simmered a bit, though it was only because of the sadness over the missing hamsters. Once June remembered how angry she was at Gina, the fighting would commence again. And now, she didn't have her furry little confidant to vent to.

"I just hope Hamtaro and the others come back soon..." Laura said absently, staring intently at the grass as she entwined her fingers in a few, tough green blades. "My room is so lonely without him, and I miss having him there all the time. In a way, he was one of my very best friends." She had thought that talking about it might ease her depression, but it only clutched deeper at her heart.

"So...the _rat_ has gone missing?"

The four girls, startled by the masculine voice, swivelled their heads to see none other than Roberto, leaning against a nearby bench, hands shoved nonchalantly into the pockets of his denim shorts. His trademark smirk dressed his tanned face, acting just as normal as could be expected. June glared at him half-heartedly, put-off by the rat comment, while Kana managed a weak, timid smile and Kylie waved a limp hand. Laura, the one his remark had been directed toward, felt her blood heat up in her veins, though her feelings were muddled. Roberto, someone she considered a pretty good friend, hadn't offered her so much as a friendly 'hello' over the past couple of days, and when he finally reared his orange head, he only had a snarky taunt and a smirk for her. Combined with everything else she had been dealing with recently, this was the final straw, the one that would unravel her patience and unleash her pent up emotions onto a person she had begun to trust.

"He's _not_ a rat!" She fairly bellowed, brows angrily knitted together and voice trembling with fury. "He's a _hamster_, and a really good friend, believe it or not! And _yes_, he's gone missing! Not that it's any of your business, _Roberto_! It's not like you care about anyone else!" She managed to tack on some of her old vehemence as she yelled his name, surprised how easily she could recall how the boy used to infuriate her, before her big revelation.

Roberto straightened himself and the smirk faded as he detected the fiery rage in her tone. Several bystanders stopped eating to glance over to them, but Laura was past caring about how she looked to her peers at this point. She wasn't going to censor her anger for the sake of others, and she certainly wasn't going to let Roberto get away with being a jerk without some kind of payback. Roberto himself didn't seem to be too pleased with the attention they were getting, and, raising his hands out in front of him, hissed, "_Chill_, Haruna! I was just kidding about your stupid pet!"

With her three friends watching in wide-eyed amazement and shock, Laura got up, and stamped one foot indignantly on the grass, face the very portrait of ire. Squaring off against the much taller, though taken aback and slightly blushing Roberto, she rebuked loudly, pointing an accusing finger at him as her chocolate gaze smoldered, "And he's _not _stupid! You're just a shallow, heartless _jerk _who doesn't have any consideration for anyone else's feelings!"

"Hey, I'm not _that _bad!" Roberto countered, pulling his hands out of his pockets and crossing them over his chest. Sticking his nose up at her, he scoffed, tapping into some of his usual haughtiness that grained on Laura's last nerve, "Besides, _you're _the one calling people names here, so I don't think _I'm_ being the jerk in this situation."

"You're _always _the jerk! It figures, the first time you have the decency to even talk to me at school it's just to be rude! Well, I don't want to hear it anymore!" Hot tears threatening to pool over, Laura, under the stunned gazes of several of her peers, stormed off toward the school building, leaving a shocked Roberto and her friends behind.

No one followed, that she could tell, and she was glad, wanting to leave them all behind her, all of the people and their anger and social dilemmas, and everything else plaguing her. Kana could sense that her best friend wanted to be alone, and, as such, didn't go after her, and had obviously advised June and Kylie of the same thing. Roberto, she imagined, was still standing there like the moron he was, mouth agape, and she felt a small surge of triumph, though it only left her feeling even more hollow when it ran it's course.

She burst into the cool, air-conditioned building, and stormed into the nearest bathroom, which was luckily placed very near to the door. Thankful it was empty, she headed for one of the middle stalls, locked the door tight, and plopped down on the top of the toilet, burying her face in her hands and trying to stop her tears. It had felt so liberating to let out her anger on Roberto, but now, in the aftermath, she felt empty and even worse than she had before, with all of her emotions pent up. But as she sat hunched on top of the toilet, praying that no one would walk in and hear her sniffles, she felt numerous, mixed emotions swirling inside her chest and suffocating her heart, until they were an undecipherable jumble. Now, she was crying, hamster-less, her friends were locked in a terrible feud that she assumed would split them apart, and Roberto really hadn't changed...or had he?

"_Haruna_! What are you doing!?"

It was Roberto's voice. Laura's head snapped up and she instictively looked around, though the stall was empty, and she was sure that Roberto wouldn't dare enter the girl's bathroom under any circumstances. His voice echoed a tiny bit, so she assumed he was yelling into the bathroom from the hall outside.

"Go away!" She choked out, between watery sobs. It was hard to sound like she meant it when her heart gave a small leap, knowing that he had sought her out again, despite the fact she had yelled at him just moments before.

"Not until you explain to me what _that _was all about! And come out _here _and talk to me; I look stupid yelling into the girls' bathroom!"

Her brief respite over, Laura hesitantly stepped out of the stall, and, before going to face Roberto, she examined her image in the mirror. Seeing her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks, she began to feel sheepish, causing such a scene. Like a child, throwing a tantrum over trivial, unimportant matters. She smoothed her mussed hair, wiped the stray tears from her face, and quickly washed her hands before stepping outside.

Roberto was waiting, leaning against the wall with one eyebrow arched skeptically at her as she came into view. Laura, overcome with shame, mumbled, "Hi."

"Hello yourself," He drawled dryly, standing upright and crossing his arms over his chest. "Would you like to explain why you just made me look like an _absolute fool_ in front of nearly the entire school? People are already calling me a jerk for making you cry..." He cringed. "Not exactly how I planned on starting junior high, you know!"

Laura, still not convinced she was totally in the wrong for unleashing her rage on him, retorted with a hiccup, "You _were _being a jerk, and, technically, you _did _make me cry."

Roberto contemplated that for a moment, before continuing, staring off into the distance over Laura's head, "Well, yeah, but that wasn't my _intention_. You just automatically assumed I was looking to start trouble, when I was actually going to apologize to you for losing Hamtaco or whatever his name is, and I was going to offer to help you look for him after school today, since

Coach Kaz's wife has an appointment with the baby doctor or whatever and the assistant coach is out of town and we don't have practice."

Laura was startled. "You were....going to help me look for Hamtaro?" She asked, incredulous.

Roberto shrugged, kicking idly at a smudge mark on the tiled floor, eyes now occupied on a slightly deformed tile, as he couldn't look her in the face. "Well, until you practically bit my head off I was going to _offer_."

Laura instantly felt a pang of guilt, but also a very warming sense of appreciation for Roberto. So he wasn't being a complete jerk...just half. And that, she decided, was good enough, and, knowing that he hadn't set out to hurt her feelings from the start, she felt scads better, and couldn't help but smile brightly, tears forgotten and anger subsided. All of her other troubles seemed so far away now. "Well, if you like, you can come home with me after school and help me look...he's probably still in my house, somewhere..." Though much happier now, she felt a bit awkward too, and absently fiddled with her fingers.

Roberto finally looked her in the eye, and replied, "Fine." He smiled, his usual half-smirk.

"Good." Laura added.

"....Alright."

"...Okay."

".....Um."

".....Uh."

And as they stood there together in the empty hallway, awkwardness meter skyrocketing to dangerous, blush-worthy proportions, Roberto suddenly remembered something vital and mumbled a nearly incoherent excuse that sounded something like, "Gotta...soccer guys...waiting..." and scurried off down the hallway, while Laura responded with a quick, jumbled, "Kana, June, Kylie...worried....lunch," and headed back out into the sunshine.

Her three friends were waiting anxiously for her, and, as she sat back down to tell them what had happened, Laura felt the burden crushing her heart begin to lift slightly.

* * *

Steel stood alone in the stone chamber, hollowed out of the very bottom of the dilapidated Castle of Hamaustere. The cavern was circular, and spacious, despite it reeking of damp cellar and the chilling, underground air that seeped in through various gaps in the stone. His cool composure was restored, opposed to his oddly melancholy mood from earlier that morning, as he stood in the center of the domed chamber, staring up at the sloping wall before him with silently sparking azure eyes.

Along the curving the walls, carvings had been etched into a ring around the walls. Each depicted a different phase of the moon in order, so, if one were to spin around in the center of the room, the monthly metamorphosis of the moon could be seen like it were actually taking place. But, currently, Steel was looking at only one of the etchings, and that one was the one near the middle...the full moon.

Of all the carvings, it was the most carefully made, delicately painted, and scrawled into the wall underneath it was the inscription _Night Falleth_, the old Hamausterian term for when day turned into night. As he saw the full moon, painted silver-white and carved perfectly circular, a small, cunning smile crossed his stern features. It was a glorious symbol of black night clashing with fine silver, and the mysticism surrounding the full moon never ceased to amaze him. It truly was a magical, but, in some cases, horrible thing...

"Fury!" He suddenly barked, voice echoing hauntingly in the room, though the grey stone door atop the stairs behind him was closed, and Fury was nowhere to be seen.

A silence followed, but sure enough, after about a minute, Fury came scurrying down the stairs, stopping a few paces behind Steel in a deep, respectful bow. She replied, her voice, a little less dull than before as she grew adapted to and more immersed in her dream-like state, "I am here. What do you need, Master?"

Steel turned to look at her, a sly gleam to his eye. "Fury...you have served me well in your short time under my orders, giving nightmares to the hamsters of the world. I can feel my power slowly spreading, growing to the amount I need to achieve all of my goals, and make those who harmed me pay. But I have an even more important mission for you...one that is _truly _detrimental to my success."

Fury bowed her head, eyes void. "Whatever you need, Master."

Steel chuckled smoothly. "I _thought _you would say that. Now, this is no ordinary mission, and, as such, must take place on a special day. Tonight is the night before the full moon. You and I will lay siege to Dreamland, and hamnap the one the citizens look to in times of difficulty. We shall bring her here, where her brave knights and other loyal subjects will surely come to rescue her, likely tomorrow night; they will need time to plan, as is the code of Dreamland. They're always very careful...whether it be knocking out competition before it gets too strong, or waiting until they're ready to ensure victory. That night, when the forces of Dreamland will come to save their hope, is a special night. It is the _full _moon."

He motioned with one sweeping paw to the carving on the wall. Fury followed the gesture with her empty eyes, and, as she faced the replica of the full moon, the fur on the back of her neck bristled and a slight snarl contorted her face. A small, nearly inaudible growl rolled in her chest, and her eyes seemed to gain just a fraction of life; a small sliver of malice. Steel, seeing this, grinned hugely and rubbed his paws with glee.

"But we'll be waiting for them....won't we, Fury?" He asked coyly, eying her cautiously.

Fury nodded her head, slightly-sparking eyes never once leaving the carving in front of her. Her russet ears lay flat against her head and she bared her teeth, letting out a low, sharp snarling sound. In a voice, twisted with a hint of malevolence, Fury returned lowly, "Yes, Master."

"And then, let night falleth on Dreamland."

"...Yes, Master."

* * *

**CFB**: SOOOO SHORT....*eye twitches* But does this make it easier for you guys to read? I hope so.

**Next time:** The tour around Dreamland continues! Why is Screech so determined to join the fight against Steel? And will he let the rules stop him, or will Hamtaro and the guys convince him otherwise? Plus, the girls chat about love with Hamorette! Yay....all in under 10,000 words.

R&R, please! :D Reviews may earn you extra updates....


	6. Foggy Forecast

**CFB:** Here's the second short chapter.....I'm still getting used to the idea, haha. (It's only 13 pages.....OMG...)....I have a problem, don't I?

**NOTE #1: I'm apologizing in advance: The next few chapters focus heavily on the OC's, but that WILL even out. I just need to get some important plot points involving the OC's brought up before I get into others, okay? So don't fret...the original ham-hams still have a huge part to play in chapters ahead! The OC's will shortly take the back seat, I just need to introduce some stuff before that happens. (Screech will NOT be the hero of this story, trust me. Neither will Siren, or any other OC.)...****Note#2: My predictability...I KNOW my stuff isn't all too surprising. To be perfectly honest, I try very hard to write surprises, and they never turn out how I like them. But I do realize that knowing what's going to happen is kind of a let down, so I'll try to do better. I do want to add a little bit of a twist in there, somewhere...**

**Thanks: **

**_sandyandmaxwellfanatic:_** Just...wow. Thank you so much for your review; it really does mean a lot. I hope I continue to deserve such nice compliments, and hope the rest of the story will keep you interested. I prefer to write in the Hamtaro section is all; maybe someday I'll spread my wings elsewhere, lol. I'll try to implement some plot twists...I already have the whole plot planned, but there's plenty of room for rearrangement. Thanks again!

**_Theta Jones:_** Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoy this story, and only hope I can complete it up to your expectations. I'll work on my predictability, as I said in the above note. I do realize that it's an issue, and I'll do my best. Thanks again for all of your compliments, and thanks for supporting this story!

**_Supercomputer276:_** Haha..I know I'm not the most reliable updater, but I'm working on getting better at it! Again, certain plot points are obvious...but I'm working in some twists for you to the best of my ability. Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot to me! For being so loyal, I dedicate this chapter to you.

**_Michaia:_** You're back!!! I'm glad you love this story, and hope you continue to. Laura being a hamster would be pretty neat...but I don't even know if I'll write a trilogy yet or not, haha. Thanks for the review!

**This time: **More looking around Dreamland! Plus, the hamdudes inspire Screech to go for what he wants....and Hamorette is encouraged similarly by the hamgirls! But will it lead to delight or disaster?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

* * *

**Chapter 5:** _Foggy Forecast_

"It's so big!"

"And do not forget _beautiful_!"

"We really _are _in a fairytale, guys!"

Screech chortled lightly, as he paused the tour to let the ham-hams take a look around the vast courtyard in the center of the castle, their shining eyes taking in the gurgling mer-ham fountains and the perfectly trimmed grass, the only vegetation they had seen as of yet in Dreamland. Everything here glowed twice as bright as usual.

"I reacted the very same way when I saw it the first time, ham-hams!" Screech told them, now armor-free and ready to tell them all they needed to know about Dreamland Castle, where they would be staying for the next couple of days. Sprint, also void of his armor, loped casually beside his best hammo, grinning a half-smile that enhanced the mischievous smirk in his eyes.

"Which was _when_, by the way?" Siren asked her older brother curiously. She hadn't had one-on-one time with him yet, though her mouth was practically burning with questions.

"Oh, three days after you were banished, Siren, I figured I'd better get out of Halem. I mean, I'd seen others get banished before, but when you see your own little sister get kicked out, it really makes you angry. I _had_ to get out of there! It became a prison!" He grinned brightly. "And I'm super glad I did get out! I live in the best place in the world, and now I have my little sister with me too! How could life be sweeter?" He put Siren in a loose headlock and ruffled the fur on top of her head, to which she grumbled, "Quit it, Screech!"

"How did you manage to _get _here, though?" Maxwell asked Screech, astounded, as the rest of the ham-hams examined the wonders of the courtyard. "Hamsters have been trying to find this place for years, but no one was ever successful. Great ham-ham explorers, like Hamellan, have never even managed to _reach _Dreamland!"

To his surprise, it was Sprint who answered. "Screech here managed to find his way to Dreamland just about a month and a half after I did. Of course, it was a fluke for both of us, like it is for all hamsters who aren't _born _in Dreamland. Watcher Cirrus found Screech right after he got in a fight with a rough band of hamsters. I got beat up by a raccoon, but managed to land some good blows before Watcher Nimbus found me."

Screech nodded to affirm the story, and several of the ham-hams looked at the brave knights in awe. The knights were not only valiant in appearance, they had stories to back it up! "Yep. I got on the bad side of some ham-gang...anyway, we stood out to Princess Hamorette, and she chose us as her personal bodyguards almost right away. That was around the time Steel started acting up, and she needed extra guarding. Or her _father _said she needed extra guarding..."

Sprint sighed, and stretched his weary arms up over his head. "It's a pretty sweet gig..."

"Not better than being a Protector of Slumber, though!" Joy piped in jokingly, jabbing both Screech and Sprint in the ribs. "Fury and I get _all_ of the luxuries! And we get to enjoy the outside world every once in a while!"

Screech shrugged, eyes softening slightly at something Joy said, but admitted, "Well, it does have it's drawbacks...like the no-marriage clause, which is the worst of the lot, the formal speech that I still have some trouble getting down, the fact we're only allowed one half-day off a week, and we have to follow the Princess just about everywhere, which would be fine if we didn't have to go shoe and dress shopping with her..."

The ham-hams, drifting off from the conversation, looked around the courtyard with marveling eyes. Bijou, Pashmina, Penelope, and Sandy, excited to be in a castle straight out of their fantasies, caught sight of the lustrous, fragrant gardens through a tall archway, and squeals of wonder and excitement flew from their mouths. Without waiting for their tour guides to finish their idle chatter, the girls scampered off for the flowers. When Bijou entered the gardens, hindpaws treading the cobblestone path lightly, her eyes widened to twice their normal size and she drew in a sharp, astounded breath. Her last encounter with a beautiful, foreign flower had been met with disastrous results, but this was an entire cornucopia of luminous, ethereal flora, sweetly scented and calling her name.

"Zis is zo hamtast!" Bijou marveled, paws clasped tightly together in front of her, as Pashmina came to a startled stop right beside her, eyes agleam with amazement as well. "I haven't seen some of these flowers _anywhere _at home! They really look like they're out of our dreams!"

The boys and the knights, as well as Joy and Siren, had almost instantly run after the delighted hamgirls, eager to see what they had discovered, but by the time they also reached the gardens, the girls were spread out among the rows of the brightly colored flowers, breathing in the alluring aromas and gently stroking the velvet petals with careful paws. "Some of these flowers _can't _be found on land," Screech clarified, sounding very professional, as he stepped forward and gently brushed his paw over a beautiful, gold and silver flower that resembled a rose, though it seemed to be opening slightly more.

"Like this one here. The lunar rose."

"Ooh..." Bijou toddled up to that one and carefully breathed in it's scent. It was heavenly; sweeter than roses and daffodils combined. "Eet smells _wondachu_! Ze petals look like zey are zparkling!" She cooed.

Hamtaro wandered a little upon entering the gardens, examining the bright flowers for himself, but, after a brief pause, his brow furrowed and he remarked cluelessly, staring with squinting brown eyes at the lovely lunar rose, as if trying to see something that simply wasn't there, "Heke? I don't get it, Bijou..._all_ the flowers look like they're sparkling!"

To his surprise, Bijou seemed to be saddened by his comment, as she turned away from the flower and mumbled somewhat dejectedly, cerulean eyes losing a great amount of their prior excitement and wonder, "You _would _say zat, Hamtaro..." Shoulders hunched, she walked over to talk with Joy, Sprint, Maxwell, Dexter, and Siren, who were chatting about something other than the petaled foliage, just a few feet away. Suddenly, looking around the gardens didn't seem so appealing to her anymore, and that was a big deal for someone who admired flowers as much as Bijou.

Hamtaro watched her leave, confusion surrounding him like a cloud, feeling like he had let a friend down and he didn't even know why. Screech, who had witnessed the exchange, muttered sympathetically under his breath to Hamtaro, "I don't get it either, pal. I said the same thing to my girlham about the clouds one time and she didn't talk to me for like, three days. I just don't understand it, so it has to be something with _them_...."

Hamtaro just tilted his head to the side, now more befuddled than ever. "Heke?"

"You mentioned being from the Dark Lands, correct?" Dexter, who had little interest in the flora, turned his imploring gaze onto a calm, easygoing Sprint as their small group chose to discuss different topics, more or less ignoring the flowers. "From what we've heard, that place is home to many foul hamsters...no offense to you, of course."

Sprint chuckled, not offended. "Yeah, I'm a Dark Lander, born and raised. The red eyes don't lie, do they? I'm one of the good ones, though, I swear!" He crossed his paw over his chest, grinning hugely.

Maxwell breathed a small sigh of relief. Ever since Sprint had mentioned the dastardly Dark Lands earlier, he had been fretting, worried they would have another ordeal like they had with Spyke. "The only reason we ask is because we _knew _a hamster from the Dark Lands, just a few weeks ago. His name was Spyke, and he was trying to gain hamster world domination by stealing the Guardian's power!" Here, he motioned to Siren. "Thanks to Siren, Hamtaro, and some good luck, we were able to defeat him, but I think he's still out there somewhere. He was pretty bad news!"

At the mention of Spyke's name, Siren made a very unhappy grimace, as she remembered the torment he had put her and the other ham-hams through, and Bijou shuddered lightly. "He 'amnapped me! Zat was zo _cruel_! I 'ope we never zee hees evil face again!" Bijou huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and scowling darkly.

"That makes two of us!" Siren chimed.

Sprint, unnerved by the discussion, just chuckled uneasily. "He sounds...mean," He remarked, hoping he didn't sound false in any way, or even guilty, as the ham-hams's dislike for this evil hamster tugged lightly on his heartstrings, and not in a good way, for reasons ambiguous to his new friends and totally obvious to both a worried Joy and Screech, who was listening in a few feet away.

"_They don't have to worry..._" Sprint thought, as he smiled through painfully gritted teeth and hoped that the subject would be dropped. "_There's no way they'll ever find out the connection._"

"The very meanest ham we've ever met!" Dexter nodded solemnly.

Maxwell chuckled hollowly. "Well, I suppose we'll have to meet this Steel character before we make any judgements about who's the worst, or meanest hamster. Though I am tempted to place my seeds on Steel, just based on what we've heard so far."

"I would! He's probably eighty six times meaner than that other guy...er...Spot, was his name? Bah, who cares...Steel's definitely meaner!" Sprint chided quickly, glad to see the conversation shift to Steel and off of his fellow Dark Lander. "Now, let's get the tour moving, shall we?" And, walking stiffly and humming an off-key tune as he feigned nonchalance, Sprint waddled off, praying that the rest would follow.

"What's with him?" Siren asked, eyes narrowed as she watched him go.

Joy sighed, inwardly cursing Sprint for not looking composed under pressure. He looked very much like their conversation had affected him, and she doubted that was what he had been aiming for. She waved a dismissive paw, but exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Screech across a row of flowers. "Just ignore it. He's a bit...odd. But we should be getting on with the tour already...there's still very much to see, and so little time!"

* * *

Sometimes, Nikolai wasn't very fond of his job.

He stood, partially concealed, in an alleyway, off one of the swarmingly busy streets of Dreamland. He had a floppy black hat pulled low over both ears, sharp hazel eyes scanning the crowd, alert. The last thing he needed was to be seen by someone he knew, which was partly why he had switched the bright green cap for the nondescript black one. Now, he more or less blended in...if only his fur wasn't a big clue to his identity.

But he had been practicing the art of a thief for so long now, sneaking around Dreamland should be no big deal, especially with the large crowds. Of course, that didn't stop little Nikolai from worrying about it. Then again, he was always worrying about something...and usually, those worries had to do with Steel yelling at him or berating him in some way or another.

Senses alert, Nikolai squeezed out of the alley and strode carefully along with the crowd. No one even glanced at him, which was very good. He had almost made it to the bakery....Baker Rollo always put freshly baked bread out on the windowsill behind the bakery to cool a bit before he served it. If Nikolai timed his arrival well, he, Steel, and the still zombified Fury would feast tonight! And Steel would not yell at him so much tonight.

He thought he was home-free, but he was no more than three buildings away from the bakery when he froze dead in his tracks and his jaw dropped. He could see two very familiar hats very nearby, over the top of the crowd, on the corner of Cloud Street and Soaring Boulevard. Fear and panic clawed at his heart as he caught sight of the hams _in _the hats through the dispersing crowd. Standing right outside the bakery, wearing identical blue and white hats, were two hamsters, tall and lean, with shaggy tan fur, white underbellies, and jovial smiles, as they both enjoyed a sunflower seed muffin. Nikolai, to avoid making too much of a traffic jam, scampered to the other side of the street and waited, ducking cautiously behind a street sign as he watched the two identical hamsters, who seemed to be having a great time. He prayed they couldn't see him.

"It figures that _they'd_ be here!" The little thief muttered, sounding much more sad than annoyed, as his hazel eyes quivered slightly with emotion.

The two hamsters each had a bag slung over their shoulders, one with a big 'C' embroidered on it, the other an 'S." They appeared to be twins, but Nikolai knew that if those two weren't at their posts, then the _other _two, the 'N' of the foursome and the other 'C' must be wandering around Dreamland as well, and he would hate to run into them too. It was already very...upsetting, to see these two, and they were only two out of a four-ham tandem he had not seen in a long time.

Without warning, the hamster with the 'S' bag glanced over at the street sign, and that was enough to send little Nikolai hightailing it in the other direction. Frenzied, he sprinted down random streets and alleys, trying to get as far away from the two hamsters and their happy smiles as he could. Unfortunately, his paws betrayed him, and he wound up standing, huffing and puffing like he had just run a marathon, right outside of the last building he wanted to come across. A small shop, squeezed in-between a florist and a bookstore, and a welcome mat sitting just outside the door that Nikolai had not tread on in a long time.

With tired hazel eyes, Nikolai looked up at the sign above the shop, boldly declaring: **Uncle C's Hats for Hams!** There were plenty of people walking the streets, so Nikolai stood across the street unnoticed by the tan-furred, blue-eyed middle-aged ham, Uncle C, who was standing in the display window, putting a new hat on a hammequin, a bright smile on his weathering face. Beside him, a female ham of the same age was holding out a tray of sunflower-seed cookies and pumpkin juice. Nikolai felt his heart sink a little, and he gently raised a paw to stroke his floppy black hat, wishing he were wearing his green one. Even though watching the two hamsters, working busily in their quaint shop, was painful to him, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Only when Uncle C stepped outside with a big yawn and a hearty grin, getting some fresh air with his mug of juice and cookie in paw, did Nikolai scamper away. He kept his hazel eyes downcast, bolting for his escape route. He didn't get the food he had wanted, but knew that he had endured enough emotional pain for one day. Steel's reprimands that were sure to come later really didn't compare to how he felt watching those hamsters get on with their happy lives.

* * *

The next stop on the tour were the rooms the ham-hams would be staying in. There were four rooms, two for the boys and two for the girls, adjacent to each other, on the second floor, where most of the living quarters were. Sprint and Screech hung in the back of the group, discussing knightly matters, while Joy took the reigns and led the ham-hams inside one of the boys rooms, where a grateful Boss plopped Snoozer down and stretched his aching shoulder. "This is what most of the rooms look like!" Joy explained with a bright smile, motioning inside the room with a wave of her paw.

The ham-hams were impressed. There were five beds, draped in golden sheets and pillows, and a glass door that would lead out onto a large balcony, where the courtyard was clearly visible, glowing in the sun. The walls were covered with beautiful gold and silver wallpaper, with hints of crimson running through, and paintings of brave knights, heroic hams, and mythical creatures decorated the room. "Dibs on this bed, ham-hams!" Stan called out immediately, dashing across the room and claiming a bed closest to the balcony by putting his bag down on it. Sitting down on one of the plush pillows, he rubbed his paws together and remarked, "That balcony is perfect for serenading a certain princess..."

Sandy rolled her eyes. Turning to the amused Sprint and Screech, she told them, jerking a paw at Stan, expression one of annoyance, "Like, if he gets to close to the princess or something, feel free to do whatever you want to him....he probably deserves it."

"_Saaaands!!!_ Way to be uncool..."

"These rooms are amazing!" Pashmina, ignoring the feuding siblings, admired the beauty and hominess of the spacious room. Turning to Bijou and Penelope, she said, "If the boys get a room this nice, I wonder what ours will be like!"

Joy smiled at them, and headed back out into the hall, "I can show you, if you like! Screech, Sprint," Here, she directed her amber eyes onto them, like a general commanding her troops, and they even saluted her in response. "Why don't you two help the boys get settled a little bit more? I'll take the girls to their rooms and help them out."

"Sounds good!" Screech flashed her a thumbs up, and quickly gave a very displeased Siren another brotherly noogie as she prepared to leave with Joy, bantering, "Watch out for my little sis though, you hear? She's not as tough as me!"

"Shut it, Screech!" Siren snapped, but her smile was wide as she traipsed along after Bijou, Penelope, Pashmina, and Joy, falling into step beside Sandy. As the girls disappeared, shutting the door behind them, Screech turned to the boys and proclaimed, "All right, fellas! Your rooms are connected by that door there - " He pointed to a door on the far wall. "So that you can see each other easier, but you gotta go through the hall if you want to talk to the girls."

He and Sprint helped the boys pick out beds, so it became Snoozer, Stan, Howdy, Dexter, and Maxwell in one room, with Boss, Cappy, Panda, Hamtaro, and Oxnard in the other. Once they had unloaded their backpacks and picked beds that they desired, they all met in the first room again, where Sprint and Screech were waiting. "This is the life!" Howdy commented, lounging lazily on his bed with a relaxed sigh. "I figger I gotsta git me a bed like this one here..."

Hamtaro, growing restless, eagerly eyed the door. "When can we go and take a look around the rest of Dreamland?" He asked, nearly jumping up and down with excitement. The anticipation was almost too much for his little body to bear. "I want to see as much as I can before I have to go home!" He couldn't focus on any idle chatter when there was a new, thrilling environment to explore, and the gleam in his chocolate brown eyes reflected that.

The knights waved passive paws at him. "There's plenty of time for that. Besides, if you go out now, the citizens will probably trample you! Everyone in Dreamland is glad that you are all here to help us, and they _all_ want a good look at the heroes!" Sprint replied. "Best to just stick around inside for now. Wait out the crowd...they'll go on their merry way soon enough. The last thing you hams want is to be trampled by a mass of fan-hamgirls..."

Stan smirked. "Speak for yourselves, hamdudes. That sounds pretty much like ham-heaven to me!"

"Can it, Stan!" Dexter and Howdy bellowed at the same time, one of the few things they could agree upon.

"Excellent!" Maxwell smiled, pleased that they would be allowed out to explore soon enough. "I'm looking forward to examining Dreamland, and learning all about how it operates! Your engineering crew must be absolutely extraordinary, to keep a land like this floating! It defies all the laws of gravity and science I can think of!"

Screech winked. "Nah, just one thing keeps Dreamland floating."

"What is it?" Cappy asked eagerly.

"Magic!" Sprint replied earnestly, smiling a proud grin. Seeing the looks of disbelief on some of the ham-hams' faces, he raised his paws and went on, "I assure you, hams...I was just as confused as you when I heard. But really...it's the power of the Stone of Slumber that keeps Dreamland afloat. The Stone has been with Dreamland for so many years now, it literally became a part of Dreamland itself, and has kept it running for so long."

"You see..." Screech continued. "The Protectors of Slumber, Joy and her partner Fury, send dreams and nightmares to hamsters nightly with the Staff of Dreams and the Staff of Nightmares. It's important to have a balance of dreams and nightmares in your sleep, so Steel giving everyone very powerful nightmares is a big problem. Anyway, when a hamster has a dream or a nightmare, it generates energy that the Stone of Slumber then absorbs. With the power of dreams and nightmares pulsing through it, it's a great force, and capable of keeping Dreamland in the clouds, as well as many other feats. So, now that Steel has it, he's getting all the power."

Oxnard, forehead creased, wondered, "What will you do now that the Stone is gone? Dreamland isn't going to suddenly fall and crash to the ground, is it?!" A terrified look crossed his face.

Sprint shrugged, which was not reassuring in the least. "It shouldn't. I think Dreamland has enough power to stay floating for a good couple of weeks. Nevertheless, we need to get the Stone back. Without it, Dreamland will never be the same." A worried glint reached the crimson depths of his eyes.

"Well, we'll help you the best we can! A ham in need is a hammo indeed!" Boss declared boisterously, slinging an arm around both Screech and Sprint, who grinned at him as a return gesture.

One he was let go of, Sprint's stomach could be heard loudly gurgling. "Ah....lunchtime is soon, but my tummy doesn't seem to want to wait!" He complained with a cheerful curl of his mouth. "I'll go down to the kitchens and see if the chef is almost ready with our lunch. It's almond dumplings today, and I'm starving!"

That was enough to make Oxnard nearly faint. With a humorous chuckle, Sprint waved his paw at the ham-hams and his best friend as he headed out the door. "Catch ya later!"

"Bye-Q!"

"We do appreciate all of your help!" Screech reiterated to the ham-hams once Sprint had left, as seriousness dawned on his face. "But the Stone of Slumber isn't _all _that Steel has stolen." The stern tone he took made the ham-hams think that Screech was thinking of something in his possession, not something belonging to Dreamland or another hamster.

Maxwell looked befuddled. "Has Steel stolen something from you, Screech?"

Screech nodded. "The most important thing in my life..." He turned his gaze to the sunlight streaming in through the windowed door that led to the balcony. "Unfortunately, I might have to trust you brave hams to do the rescuing _I_ should be doing. If Princess Hamorette has her way, neither Sprint nor I will see a battle with Steel. We have to stay here and fend-D." A scowl marred his face for a moment.

The hamboys exchanged concerned, questioning glances with one another. Quizzically, Panda asked, "Why won't she let you go after Steel?"

Screech shrugged, though his response made his mood droop even more. "She's convinced we'll get hurt if we do. And she says she'll think it's all her fault if we do wind up injured. So...we have to stay by her side at all times. Occasions like this are really the only time we're left to our own devices. And now, it's very upsetting...but even if I were allowed to go on the mission, things won't change much...not with the way things are now, with the princess's laws."

This statement reminded Maxwell vaguely of oppression he'd read about in more old-fashioned hamster civilizations, but he kept his mouth shut. Luckily, it was Boss who spoke up next, stating in his bold, gruff voice, while his brown eyes burned, "Well, I don't know about _you _fellas, but if some ham, Princess or not, told me that I couldn't go after something important to me, I might have to turn a deaf ear! If it's that important to you, Screech, then you should go after Steel and do the rescuing!"

Screech looked to the wise field ham in surprise, his cerulean eyes wide. "You..." He stammered, raising a paw to scratch an ear awkwardly. "You really think I should..._defy _Princess Hamorette?"

Hamtaro sprang to Boss's aid. Paw raised defiantly in the air, he proclaimed, "If it means something to you, then go after it! That's what a true ham would do!"

Maxwell took a slightly more rational turn to the argument. "You don't need to _defy _Princess Hamorette, necessarily..." He reasoned, Dexter nodding in agreement beside him. "But letting her know how you truly feel about the situation might be a good idea. Maybe she doesn't realize just how badly you want to participate in the fight against Steel."

Screech hadn't considered that. At least, not in this particular predicament. Naturally, he had thought of telling Princess Hamorette many times, but, just as naturally, _she _told him not to, claiming that telling the princess would only complicate things that were already terribly complex. And he always abided by her pleas, not wanting to displease her. But now, in this time of urgency, fear, and desire for all that is lost, revealing just how strongly he felt about that lost treasure of his might just work out in his favor. Certainly, the time for 'now or never' was _now_. Luckily, she wasn't here to talk him out of confronting the Princess, but his desires had been stifled for far too long...

"You're right, ham-hams. They really don't call you guys heroes for nothing, do they?"

Screech boldly marched over to the door, a look of defiance plastered on his face. "Feel free to roam around the castle all you like, friends. I'm going to let Princess Hamorette know how I feel, once and for all! Even if I can't be there to save the most important thing in my life, I will make sure it never gets taken away from me again!" And with that noble proclamation, Screech put his paw to the doorknob, and the hamboys watched as he prepared to make a huge decision.

* * *

"Zis room ees zo _heavenly_!" Bijou sighed as she collapsed onto one of the silver-sheeted beds in the girls room. They had been given two rooms, but there were enough beds in the first room for all of them to sleep in the same one. Each had staked out a separate silver bed, and were now sitting on them, staring around the blue/silver/white motif with sparkling eyes and excited expressions.

Pashmina giggled. "I think Boss should let us redecorate a little when we get back to the Clubhouse! I wonder if Princess Hamorette will give us the name of her interior designer!"

"Ookwee!" Penelope agreed in a chipper voice, bouncing up and down on her bed with an unmatched level of hyperness.

Joy smiled warmly. "I'm glad you all find it to your liking. Not a lot of guests make their way to Dreamland, so this is a pretty big event for us! This room has never even been stayed in!"

Sandy looked surprised. "Like, for real?"

Joy nodded, sitting down on a regal looking, cobalt blue chair, twirling the Staff of Dreams idly in one paw. "Long ago, all the Hamster Kingdoms were at peace. Then, a series of wars broke out that ruined that peace. Some kingdoms fell, others expanded. King Hamvil, Princess Hamorette's father, is now the King of Hamelot, but it was his grandfather who first decreed that no outsider should ever visit Dreamland unless brought for an important reason by a Dreamland inhabitant. Screech and Sprint are two rare exceptions, and we do allow hamsters from other kingdoms to come on occasions. But Dreamland, back in the days of the wars, always wished to stay out of the fighting, so it isolated itself and has been that way ever since. Of course, they only fought when they had to..."

"Wow..." Siren muttered, laying down on her bed and propping her chin up with both paws. "I always wondered why no one was ever able to find Dreamland...it didn't want to be found."

"Precisely!" Joy smiled faintly, and somewhat sadly. "Besides - "

Before she could finish her sentence, there was a soft knocking at the door. Joy, guessing the culprit, rolled her eyes and bellowed, "Sprint, stop kidding around! We need some hamgirl time to ourselves, okay? Go bug Screech!"

They heard the tinkle of laughter from the other side of the door. "My, my, Joy! Are you always so hostile to my knights?" A bell-like voice sounded, muffled as it traveled through the door. Realizing who it was that had knocked, Joy's cheeks flamed red with embarrassment as she ran to open the door, while the other hamgirls, surprised by the royal visit, sat bolt upright on their beds.

"Many _oopsies_, my lady!" Joy apologized sheepishly, as she pulled the tall wooden door open for the princess.

With the faint aroma of cherry-blossoms following her, Princess Hamorette glided inside the room with a pleasant smile and a regal wave of her paw as she greeted the hamgirls with a whimsical, "Hamha, new friends! I certainly hope you've enjoyed touring Dreamland Castle!"

"It's totally _bestest_!" Sandy crowed, not forgetting to add, "Your majesty!" at the end.

Hamorette chuckled. "I am glad to hear it. I was chatting with some of my knights when I thought I might come and pay the hamgirls a little visit. And Joy and I get hardly any time together, either! Talking about girl things with Screech and Sprint makes them so uncomfortable!" As she took the seat that Joy had been occupying a moment before, the goldenrod-furred Protector of Slumber sat next to Siren on the latter's bed.

Pashmina asked, "If you don't mind my asking, Princess, I was wondering why you picked Sprint to be your knight?" She blushed slightly as Hamorette's bright eyes landed on her, and swiftly added, "I mean, he mentioned being from the Dark Lands...and that sounds like a place were bad hams live!"

Hamorette smiled warmly, and replied, her smile stiffening slightly, "A lot of people doubted my decision for that very reason. Sprint is a very kind hamster, and a very capable knight. He has an unyielding spirit that I admire very much. His first few months here were hard because of his heritage. Not many citizens of Dreamland accepted him for that, and thought bad of him for the longest time. Really, he's the purest heart ever to come from the Dark Lands. He's been proving himself for a little over a year now...uncaring what others think of him. He has a lot to prove. Only recently have the citizens come to respect him a bit more."

Immediately, the hamgirls, Joy included, were saddened, and it was reflected on their faces. "How _bluhoo_..." Sandy murmured, her ears drooping slightly. "To be like, the only one of your kind in a new place..."

"Ookwee..."

For some reason, Siren found her mood dampened immensely by this story. She pictured Sprint, standing all alone on one of the sparkling blue streets of Dreamland, while the citizens jeered and taunted him for his heritage and the red eyes that showed it so blatantly. Even though she had only known him a short time, her heart went out to him. He seemed so cheerful all the time...could he really be shunned so terribly?

Hamorette, sensing the shift in mood, quickly continued with a smile, "But he doesn't let it get him down! He's always getting into shenanigans when I turn my back...usually pulling some prank and laughing about it with Screech, who just encourages it..."

"I hope my brother isn't being annoying to you, princess..." Siren professed, cheeks tinted red. "I've been away from him a long time, but I clearly remember he had the tendency to get on other hams' nerves a lot...usually by doing something totally dumb."

The bell-like laugh sounded again. "Of course he hasn't been any trouble! Why, it's just the opposite! Screech..." Here, her jade eyes achieved a faraway quality and she smiled sweetly. She seemed much more chipper talking about Screech as opposed to how she spoke about her other knight. "He's a very determined ham, isn't he? Very noble. He is dense, I will admit, and he does have a tendency to walk around like he's in a daze, but there is no better ham to be my knight. No stronger ham, no braver ham..." She trailed off, eyes glazing over and mouth unable to stop smiling.

Bijou, never one to overlook the prospect of romance, daringly jested, blue eyes sparkling impishly, never failing to detect when a fellow hamgirl was crushing on someham, "Eef you will pardon _moi_, Princess...eet zounds like you have a bit of an attachment to Screech, _non_?"

The Princess, surprisingly, blushed slightly and released a dreamy sigh, confirming Bijou's suspicions. "I suppose I'm not very good at hiding it, am I?" she asked, not angered in the least that Bijou had pointed it out, though she ran an absent paw through her blonde curls. "It's a wonder he hasn't figured it out yet. I fear that one day I'm just going to blurt it out at random and it will be terribly _blushie_!" She buried her pink-tinged face in her paws.

This set off a round of squeals amongst the hamgirls; including Siren, who seemed a bit uncomfortable talking about Screech like that - it made him seem normal. Joy was the only one who did not hop to her paws and bolt over to crowd around the embarrassed Princess. She remained perched on the end of Siren's bed, twirling her staff idly, amber eyes on the white carpet. None of the hamgirls or Princess Hamorette noticed the hint of a treacherous secret behind her golden gaze.

"Do you zink zat Screech might feel ze zame way?" Bijou asked Hamorette eagerly, delighted that she and her friends may have encountered a fairytale romance.

The Princess looked thoughtful. "He's a difficult ham to read, so I'm very confused as to what his feelings might be...there are always obstacles. He is somewhat younger than me, after all, and my father might not approve..."

To Pashmina, there was no doubt. "Well, he _must _feel the same way! Why would he stay by your side for so long if he didn't care about you? Besides, it's not like he has a girlham or anything! It's just like in the fairytales...the beautiful Princess and the brave knight always wind up marrying one another!"

Hamorette was about to respond, when there was another rapping on the door, making the hamgirls jump. Surprised, Joy ambled over to get it, silently pleased that someone had interrupted the conversation. However, her discontentment returned with a vengeance when she pulled to door open and saw Screech, face defiant and as handsome as ever, standing there like he was on an incredibly important mission and no one was going to stand in his way. One look into his brave blue eyes was enough to confirm that he was, indeed, intent on something. He was the last ham that Joy had wanted to see.

"Screech!" Joy exclaimed, alarmed that he, of all hams, had shown up at this very, unfortunately ironic time. "What are you doing here?"

He did not see the warning look she shot him. "I came to see if you know where the Princess is, Joy. There is something very important I need to discuss with her," He replied, unable to see the Princess or the other hamgirls from his angle.

The hamgirls, hearing his voice, exchanged stunned, and eager looks. Screech certainly had good timing, and his words made them ponder what his 'important' matter was that he needed to discuss with the Princess. In light of recent revelations, they had a pretty good hunch...and that made _their _hearts race, so they couldn't imagine how the Princess was feeling.

Joy, put in a dangerous position, replied, "Erm...can it wait til later? The girls are still settling in...." She prayed he would just _see _the warning look in her eyes, but he was too dense to notice; far too intent on his mission.

Hamorette, heart stopping as she heard the tone of his voice, silently rose from the chair and stepped around the door, so she was directly behind Joy. A tense, thick silence enveloped the dreamily decorated room. Seeing Screech standing there so boldly made her heart restart, though several paces quicker than what is should have been. She too, had an assumption about the nature of his visit, and if she were right the elation would be great. "Here I am, Screech..." She said softly, with her usual warm smile. "What is it you need?"

"Perhaps you could meet me in the gardens in ten minutes to talk, my lady? I have a very important matter that needs to be discussed," Urgency shone across his sharp features.

Despite the thundering in her chest and the sharp intakes of breath she could hear from the hamgirls peeking around the door, Hamorette managed to outwardly keep her composure. She realized that now was the time to act on what her heart had been telling her for months. Tone airy and light, she responded, unable to look directly into his cerulean gaze, "Why...now that you mention it Screech, there is something I need to discuss with you as well. Your break is nearly over, so I would like it if you returned to your armor before you go to the gardens. I will be waiting for you there."

Screech bowed. "Very well, my lady..." He stated, before turning and headed toward his room to put his armor back on.

Joy, feeling like things were slowly deteriorating around her, slowly shut the door. As the hamgirls swarmed around Hamorette, exclaiming things about marriage proposals and undying love, the Protector of Slumber stood with one hopeless paw on the doorknob, feeling that things were about to go terribly, terribly awry...and there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening.

* * *

**CFB:** The plot thickens!

**Next time: **What will happen between Screech and the princess when they have their important talk? My guess is confusion...and more confusion. Will things go as awry as Joy predicted? And what's this odd bond developing between Sprint and..._Siren_?!


	7. Thunderstruck Hearts

**CFB**: Chapter six is up! And things are about to get all complicated...but that's love, right? I wasn't going to post this until tomorrow, but I'm off to New Jersey to babysit for the weekend, so I got this up a little early.

**Thanks: Will now be in the form of review replies, if I can figure out how to do that....so thanks to all who reviewed, I'll send you a reply after I post this! **

**This time: **Screech and Hamorette talk while the hamgirls watch in secret...but are they on the same page? Are they even in the same _book_? Will the talk come to a calm, peaceful end....or an explosive one? And what two unlikely hamsters will strike up a bond because of it?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

* * *

**Chapter 6:**_ Thunderstruck Hearts_

Princess Hamorette sat on the white stone bench nervously, inspecting her image in a pocket mirror. She was very glad that she chose this day to wear her favorite dress; the pale pink one, less frilly, and trimmed with a brilliant gold, matching her curls that caught the sunlight. She was also glad that Screech looked very dapper in his coal black armor, a true image of chivalry and bravery, with just a dash of ham-like grace. As he entered the gardens, head held high and cerulean eyes serious, she stood up off the bench and beckoned welcomingly at him, pocketing the mirror so he would not see how she had fretted over her appearance.

Screech picking the gardens as the perfect meeting place had been a stroke of luck. Her gardens served as the home to hundreds of beautiful, brightly-colored flowers, many foreign, others native to Dreamland, and created beautiful scenery for an important conversation between her and Screech, the ham of her dreams. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sun's golden rays flattering her, the soft summer breeze caressing her fur. This scenario could only have played out better if she had taken the time to script the dialogue. But the hamgirls had already boosted her confidence with their kind words.

"_He's like, so totally going to confess smoochie or something!_"

"_Zees ees zooooo romantic!_"

"_A dream come true, right Princess? I'm so happy for you!_"

"_Ookwee! Ookwee!_"

He crossed the stone ground to her when she beckoned to him, careful to avoid the neat rows of dirt and flowers her gardeners tended diligently to daily. She couldn't help but sigh contentedly at the sight of him, loping toward her, so dignified, looking like a true knight in all aspects of the word. Like out of a dream, here to sweep her off her feet. He bowed once he reached her side, and said, in a voice that never failed to make her smile, "My lady, I'm glad you've come to speak with me."

She smiled lightly. "Hello, Screech. _I_ am glad you asked to meet me here, for I feel that there is something very important that needs to be brought to attention," She said, as she glided across the stone tile to stand by a small patch of tulips, leaving him by the bench as he took his helmet off, falling victim to the heat of summer. "Something....a matter...close to the heart."

"Same for me, my lady," Screech stated, his voice tinged with a nostalgic tone she had never heard from him before. "The matter I wish to discuss is very, _very _close to _my _heart."

They stood a ways apart, her wandering amongst her lovely floral specimens, and he standing stiff as a board by the bench. "I have been thinking very often, of late..." The Princess remarked sweetly, tracing a paw against the petals of a brilliant rose as she kept her back to the handsome knight. "And I have something very important to discuss with you, Screech, the most trusted of all Dreamland knights." Repeating her need to talk to him did not ease her nerves.

"I am glad to hear it, my lady," Screech returned, standing stiffly by the white stone bench the Princess had abandoned. He placed his helmet down on it, but remained on his feet, back rigid and face set into a stern expression. "And I have something I need to talk with you about, if you will hear me out, Princess. It is why I asked you here, when I know you are very busy."

Surprised, Hamorette dropped her paw and whirled around to face him, struggling to keep her formal composure. He looked very business-like and professional, standing there so defiantly, but Hamorette could detect that whatever he had to discuss was a matter close to his heart, and that sent hers thundering. "Really? Is it an..._important _matter, Screech?" She asked innocently, wanting to hear him say it again.

"It is," He bowed his head, cerulean eyes burning with a resolve Hamorette had never seen in them before. "_Very _important, my lady."

Hamorette assumed right away that she knew what Screech was talking about, certain that he was thinking along the exact same lines as she and the lines her new friends had encouraged her to think along. She smiled faintly, and turned her back to him again, walking delicately along the lines of flowers, stroking them carefully with her paw. When her heart was pounding so fiercely, it was hard to remain casual, especially when she was so sure her dreams were about to become realities.

"Very well. You may speak first, Screech."

Screech nodded. "Thank you my lady..." He turned his gaze away, choosing to stare at a blooming magnolia instead of the Princess as he spoke the words he had long desired to speak, his heart also aflutter, "Over the past several months, my life has been radically transformed. I became a top-ranked Dreamland Knight and built a fine life for myself here. But all of that would mean so much less had I not had something else in my life...and that something is love."

Hamorette's heart skipped a beat. She froze, his words echoing in her head, her mind frantically trying to dissect the meaning behind them. There was a momentary pause. "Is that so?" She managed to ask, voice nonchalant, though her jade eyes were now wide, and her heart was hammering louder than ever in her chest.

"Yes...my lady," Screech replied, casting melancholy eyes onto the stone ground. He cleared his throat, and forged on, "Love has changed my life, and for the better."

Princess Hamorette found herself smiling wryly as she brushed her paw against the leaves of a beautiful white rose bush, avoiding the harmful thorns. Sighing peacefully, she declared, jade eyes half-closed as she imagined the next moments playing out exactly as she had dreamed, "You don't know how happy I am to hear that, Screech."

* * *

Little did the two know that above them, on the balcony of the second floor overlooking the gardens, a few very eager ham-girls were watching them. And since Joy had abandoned them to go off to talk to one of the Watchers, they thought they could do this without getting in trouble. They had chosen a room they knew was a bedroom, but it wasn't the two belonging to the hamboys; they didn't want to have to explain what they were doing to the guys.

Peering anxiously through the patterns carved into the white stone, Bijou, Pashmina, Sandy, Penelope, and Siren had their ears pricked forward, trying to hear every word the Princess and knight exchanged. After their discussion with Princess Hamorette earlier that day, in which she had confessed her affections for Siren's brother, they had been dreamily theorizing about a fairytale romance blossoming between the two. Once they heard that Screech had gone in search of the beautiful princess to discuss something important, they had leapt at the chance to see that fairytale romance come true, and had found the perfect spying spot in the balcony.

"He's totally going to confess his _smoochie _for her!" Sandy whispered to the others, her eyes alight with excitement. "This is like, straight out of some fairytale book! The handsome knight asks for the paw of the like, totally beautiful princess! It's _hamtast_!"

Pashmina sighed dreamily, slumping against the cold stone, eyes faraway. "It's so sweet! Too bad we can't hear much of what they're saying...if only we were closer!"

Bijou giggled quietly, barely able to contain how thrilled she was for the Princess. "Zis ees _tre magnifique_! Princess Hamorette has admired Screech for zo long now, and her faith ees about to be rewarded! 'ow _romantic_!" Her face clouded over for a moment, as she said wistfully, "Eef only Hamtaro would do somezing like zis for me! Confessing undying love in a beautiful flower garden! Eet ees zo perfect..." Her eyes achieved the same far-off look as Pashmina.

"What every ham-girl wants!" Pashmina nodded. "And only a select few get a confession out of a dream like this! Hamorette is so lucky! But I'm very glad for her, even if I am a little bit jealous!" She smiled brightly, craning her neck to get a better look over the ledge. "It almost makes me want to find a boyham for myself..."

"Ookwee!" Penelope kept her squeal on low volume, but she was jittery with excitement as well.

Siren looked grumpy about this, though she wore a grudging smile as she peeked down at the scene unfolding amidst the beautiful, multi-colored flower gardens. "My big brother, the brave knight of Dreamland, reduced to a lousy, simmering sack of _sap_..." She shook her head in disbelief, smiling wider as she did so, azure eyes agleam. "I can't believe it. And he said he'd never be _wimpy _enough to fall so hopelessly in love..."

"Shh!" Sandy suddenly waved a paw to silence everyone, and all attention returned to the gardens below, the ham-girls zealously trying to hear the next words spoken as they carefully looked through the carvings in the thick stone. "I think something _big_ is about to like, happen!"

* * *

"I understand that your father preferred that the knights remain alone in life, so not to compromise their loyalty to the throne, and when I took this position I understood and accepted that rule..." Screech continued as Hamorette meandered slowly through her carefully tended gardens, his icy eyes now watching her back as she strolled, unable to look at him in return. "But some things are truly unavoidable...the kind of thing that you can't escape from, and never want to. This happened on accident, but I would not change it for anything."

Princess Hamorette smiled wider. "That law is old, Screech. My father created it when we were still a target for Hamaustere, and he wanted the knights to have only their duty to the throne. Times have changed. I think that rule can be _bent_, in certain circumstances, nowadays." A bright pink butterfly fluttered by, flashing it's brilliant wings in Hamorette's direction, as the flurry of butterflies flitted dizzily in her stomach.

Screech chuckled hollowly. "I am glad to hear you say that, Princess. Had you said anything different, I might have had to offer you my resignation here and now."

In Princess Hamorette's mind, the pieces began to fall perfectly into place, forming the picture she most hoped to see. The way he said that, it sounded like he would have been willing to give up his esteemed position of Head Knight just for this smoochiehe had, an act many would consider crazy. Her heart melted a little, and she sighed dreamily, admiring the depth his adoration seemed to have.

"This hamgirl..." She trailed, watching another butterfly, this one blue, begin to flit about with the pink one, engaging in some kind of lovely airborne dance. "She must be very special to you."

Screech stooped his head a little, though Hamorette could not see his abrupt change in demeanor. Voice soft and nostalgic and eyes clouded with a mixture of emotions, Screech mumbled, "She is...and always will be. And I know that I mean just as much to her!" With that, he straightened up and fell on one knee, a proud paw help over his armored chest. His eyes suddenly became, once, again, full of a fiery resolve like none other. "And that is why I have come to you with a very important question, Princess!"

Silence settled, though remnants of his strong words resonated in the still air. Slowly, Hamorette turned around to face the handsome knight, and was startled to see such a powerful determination in his eyes, ablaze with passionate fire. He had always been somewhat impassive, but focused, and this change was alarming, but not unwelcome. Hamorette's heart began to beat with even more vigor, and her eyes fell on his one-knee position, instantly coming to a conclusion in her head. Feet propelling her forward, her eyes rained locked on Screech's set face, unaware of her own, mystified expression. All the world had stopped.

"What is it, Screech?" She asked gently, stopping a few inches away from him, paws quivering behind her back.

Screech could not back down now that he had gotten this far. Bowing his head and staring straight at the cold stone ground, he replied, voice unwavering,

"...I wish to ask for my love's paw."

* * *

"Oh my goodness! He's like, on _one _knee! He's _so_ gonna propose!" Sandy quietly tittered, eyes wide as she watched the scene unfurl below them.

Bijou's eyes sparkled as she clapped her paws quietly together. "Zis eez zo exciting, _non_?"

"Ookwee!"

Siren grumbled, "He better not ask me to be the flower girl, cuz he'll have another thing coming..."

"Hopefully they have the wedding before we have to go back home! I want to see a real Princess get her real happily ever after!" Pashmina gushed, attention glued to the two hamsters in the gardens.

"Um...not to be rude or anything, but what are you all _doing_?"

The five spying ham-girls nearly jumped straight out of their fur as they heard the masculine voice question them from behind. Whipping around simultaneously, they saw Sprint, Hamorette's other knight, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, still armor-less. He was peering at them expectantly by the doors to the balcony with his brilliant scarlet eyes, clearly waiting on an explanation. When they were silent, he began to tap his hind paw.

"I'm _waiting_..."

"Um...we wanted to see the view from the second floor?" Pashmina offered meekly, scratching the back of her head nervously as Penelope cowered behind her, afraid of the intimidating knight.

Sprint appeared unimpressed. "I don't buy that for five seconds," He remarked flatly.

"Well, what are _you _like, doing here?" Sandy asked him with narrowed eyes, trying to shift the suspicions off of her and the other ham-girls.

Sprint motioned to room to which the balcony was attached with one paw. The ham-girls had taken little notice to it before, as they had been frantically looking for the perfectly spying location, but they now noticed it was a bedroom with furnishings clearly belonging to a male hamster, and Sprint's next words confirmed that. "This is _my _room. And thus, my balcony, so I really don't need to explain why I'm here...I have the afternoon off, and can go wherever I please, especially _my own room_."

His scarlet eyes flitted off of the nervous females for a moment to rest on the ledge. He walked to it and peered over, and instantly, an understanding look crossed his face as he realized what the ham-girls had been doing. They in turn realized that he had figured them out, and they grew even more nervous. They had trespassed in the room of a knight, and had been caught spying on the Princess!

"So...you wanted to see Princess Hamorette and Screech's little chat, did you? From what I can see, it looks like a _very _personal matter, but you wanted to _spy _on them and invade their privacy!" He 'tsked' them mockingly. "Didn't you ever learn that spying is bad? The Princess won't be very happy when she finds out you were looking in on her personal matters...and Screech will no doubt be enraged, and trust me, he's _dangerous _when he's mad."

Instantly, the girl ham-hams began to panic, and looks of pure horror spread across their faces, making Sprint shuckle quietly under his breath. "Oh, please, _monsieur _Sprint! Do not tell ze Princess! She will never forgive us for zis!" Bijou pleaded, clasping her paws together in front of her to help her case.

"Hm..." Sprint tapped his chin, pretending to think it over.

"Cut us some like, slack, dude!" Sandy requested exasperated. "Like, we just wanted to see what was going to happen! We weren't going to like, sabotage it or anything! And we weren't going to tell her we saw! Like, it was all innocent, we promise!"

"Ookwee!"

Sprint still looked unconvinced, though a smirk now played across his face. If anything, he was having fun taunting these hamsters, even though he really wasn't sure if he had to turn them in or not. Hamorette disliked eavesdropping, and counted it as punishable, and even if these foreign hamsters were heroes, he didn't think anyone was exempt for that rule. Though he recognized that this case would be easy to cover up, and he could easily let it go if he wanted to, so long as they kept their traps shut. But this was pretty fun! "I don't _know_..."

"Please?"

The voice was quieter than the rest. His eyes immediately fell on the speaker, whom he instantly recognized as Screech's little sister, Siren, who was looking back at him with uneasy, but hopeful azure eyes. Her request was quieter, meeker, and much more nervous than the others had been, but it managed to wipe the grin clean off his joking face, and for an instant, he forgot how much fun teasing them had been. She was frowning, and looked almost scared, and, for some reason totally beyond his understanding, he wanted to amend that, even if it meant stretching the rules a little. The look on her face did not sit well with him, and made him feel terrible inside, like her one word had the capability to tear up his soul.

Siren was puzzled as she saw his arrogant smirk fade, and, for an instant, she saw an apologetic gleam in his eye. Her heart began to beat harder, and she wondered if it was because he might be reconsidering turning them over. His eyes were very bright and warm, not at all menacing, as their color might indicate...As he stared at her, she could feel her cheeks heat up, and hoped that she hadn't gone totally red.

"Fine..." Sprint grumbled, looking away from her. The ham-girls looked to be on the verge of celebration, and were about to rush back to spy again when he added sharply, "But, you have to tell me what's so _interesting _about this...Princess Hamorette talks to Screech like, all the time. Why spy on them _now_?"

Pashmina glowingly replied, forgetting how nervous she had been a moment before, "Screech is going to propose to Hamorette! He's gotten down on one knee and everything, but we can't hear what's going on!" The rest of the ham-girls pressed their faces to the openings in the balcony's architechture again, eagerly watching the romance unfold.

"What?!" Sprint demanded, red eyes wide with surprise, as he abruptly squeezed in between Siren and Sandy for a better look. "You have to be mistaken! There is simply _no_ way..." He trailed off, unable to find the right words of shock to finish his thought.

"See for yourself!" Sandy told him smugly.

As he watched, Sprint began to grow horribly uneasy. He, moreso than the others, had a good idea he knew what Screech had come to Hamorette for, and he had an even better idea he knew what Hamorette _thought _that Screech had come to her for. He prayed that he was somehow wrong, because the aftermath of such a misunderstanding had the potential to be severely catastrophic, and in such hard times, that could only make things even more difficult and stressed. Sprint kept his worried eyes glued to the pair among the bright flowers, hoping that he would not see what he was expecting, though the bad feeling hovered over him like a dark cloud...

"_I hope you know what you're doing, Screech..._"

* * *

"You are speaking marriage, correct?" The Princess asked airily, trying to sound aloof, though in reality her heart was screaming with joy and she was already wondering where she had put her mothers' wedding dress.

Screech nodded. "I am. I know the laws forbid knights to marry, so I came to seek your permission, as you are the authority of Dreamland, my lady. If you do not allow me this...I'm afraid I will have to turn in my sword. I have met the hamster I wish to spend the rest of my life with, and I will not give her up for anything in the world."

Hamorette beamed, heart now in an absolute uproar. She placed one warm, gentle paw on his armored shoulder and said in her soft, whimsical voice, jade eyes brimming with happy tears that she would not wipe away, "Your admiration for this girlham of yours is truly noble, Screech. I know your request for marriage will not interfere with your loyalties for the throne. It may even strengthen it! I will...._permit _this union." With that final statement, Hamorette could feel that her destiny had come, and she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around it, but she restrained herself, keeping a firm paw on his shoulder and nothing more.

A wave of relief washed over Screech, and he graced Princess Hamorette with his brilliant grin, cerulean eyes now algeam with a life that had been long absent. "She will be so pleased to hear that, Princess! She was really worried about this...I mean, she didn't even _want _to ask for permission. She said that we didn't really _need _to get married, but I wanted our relationship to be official; no longer a secret. She was just scared you would condemn our union and forbid us from seeing each other again. But I _knew _it would all work out! All I have to do now is propose, but I know she'll say yes. You have made me the happiest knight in Dreamland, Princess! Thank-Q!" He bowed deeply, but regained his footing, still smiling brightly.

Hamorette's face fell slightly, and instantly, she felt like a fragile piece of glass had shattered inside of her chest and had punctured her now-stilled heart. His words rang in her head like a broken record, sending chills up her spine. Something was not adding up...something was wrong. _Very _wrong. Her jade eyes grew troubled and her smile slipped. "You...you haven't _proposed_ yet?" She choked out after a moment of stunned silence, the only part of his statement that had made any sense to her.

He nodded. "We had already decided to spend our lives together, even if it meant hiding it for eternity...but deep down, we both wanted it to be out in the open, so we didn't have to sneak around so much anymore." Screech answered, speaking more casually now that his stress over the request was gone. "The rest is just a formality, now that we have your blessing. All I have to do is rescue her! I know you don't want me to go after her and all...but now that you know what she means to me, I figured you would see that it needs to be me who saves her."

"_Rescue_...?" Hamorette could feel all of her dreams slowly deflating.

"Yeah..." A solemn look dawned on Screech's face. "I can't be truly happy with this until she's back safely and agreed to it, and I will make _sure _that happens, no matter what. I will give everything I have to rescue her from that evil Steel!" He clenched his paws tightly into fists, mouth set into a firm line.

And then, it all made perfect sense to the Princess, whose face became blank and pale as a ghost's. Everything froze around her as the realization struck with the force of a lightning bolt. All the pieces of a puzzle had fallen into place, though it formed the picture of a different happy couple than she had imagined so many times in her daydreams. Her knight in shining armor had caught the eye of another damsel, who had captured his heart in return. A fairytale wedding was to take place, but she would not be the beautiful bride marrying the perfect groom. All of her dreams, her thunderstruck heart, they had all been wrong.

"You..." She spluttered, trying, and failing, to keep her regal composure. "You are speaking of...of...?"

"Fury!" Screech replied easily, his voice growing sweeter and softer as it spoke her name. He chuckled, realizing, "I'm sorry, Princess. I guess I should have told you right away who I was talking about. You must have been so confused."

"Yes..." Hamorette tried to laugh it off, though it sounded bitter and empty, and her happy tears instantly turned to ones of anger. She clenched her teeth and her face burned with embarrassment, as she realized she had been spurned in favor of someone _below _her. She had been rejected for a hamster that wasn't even of _nobility_. He was in love with a hamster other than she, while she had longed for him ever since she had laid eyes on him a year before. It made her furious to know that he could not feel the same for her, and instead, had been carrying on with Fury for several months, _sneaking off_ to see her at that, as he had stated before, and _she _had been the one to make him so happy.

"That _would _have been _nice _to know beforepaw...." She turned her back to him, paws trembling, though this time from rage rather than nerves.

The bite in her voice caught him off guard. "Is something wrong, my lady?" He asked, returning to formality.

It didn't take long for Hamorette to decide what she had to do in this situation. Her anger surpassed all other emotions, boiling to the surface like molten lava. Quivering, she remarked scathingly, jade eyes full of hot, angry tears, "Yes, there is. I did not realize that you loved someone in such a position. Protectors of Slumber like Fury have very important jobs that require much attention and focus. She cannot be distracted. A responsibility to a husband might just interrupt that focus."

Screech was silent for a long moment, digesting this. "I don't understand..." He said slowly, cerulean eyes boring holes into her back. "You didn't think our marriage would affect _my _position, my lady...why should it be different for Fury?"

"She is, as you know, much more fragile than you are, Screech," Hamorette replied primly, her sweet, gentle demeanor vanishing fast in favor of a much more brittle, vengeful one. "She already had many issues maintaining balance with her job, what with her accursed _condition _and all..."

"Don't talk about her like that!"

Screech's angry outburst caught the Princess by surprise. She glanced at him over her shoulder, and could see that his glacial eyes were downright infuriated, and his paws were tightened into powerful, furious fists. His anger had passed hers by leaps and bounds, radiating off of him in thick, rolling waves that threatened to suffocate her. He had never dared so much as raise his voice at her before. It was a rule that no knight had ever broken. Was his dedication to Fury _stronger _than his loyalty to her? The very thought only made Hamorette even more enraged.

"You are never to speak to me in that way, Screech!" Hamorette scoffed, sticking her nose in the air and crossing her arms over her chest. "If you are going to be disrespectful to me, then I have no choice but to _forbid _your union with Fury!"

As her heated words fell on his ears, Screech's cerulean eyes widened with surprise. Stung, and looking like he had been betrayed by someone he considered a friend, he spat, uncaring of her royal position and authority over him, "I thought you understood how important this was to Fury and me! Of all hams, I would hope for _you _to understand, Princess!"

Voice falling to a low, enraged whisper, Hamorette replied bitterly, "I understand much _less _than you think."

With her final word on the matter, Screech, now even madder, threw his helmet into a patch of bluebells, crushing them, and stormed out of the gardens, turning his back on the Princess much more easily than she had expected from him. He tore off bits of his armor as he went, as if denouncing his position then and there, leaving it all behind for love, as he had claimed he was willing to do. Hamorette's anger faded for a moment, and she whirled around to watch him leave, until he had vanished through the arched entranceway, his armor clattering with finality as he dropped it sporadically behind him. He did not spare her a single glance as he left, and she felt her eyes well up with tears of regret, sorrow, anger, and pain, as he did not even deign her worthy of a farewell look.

How could she have been so selfish? She had driven him away. But had he not warranted it, asking for another's paw in marriage? Had he been blind to her affection for him this past year? She realized, with a small chuckle, that his love for Fury must have blinded him from her advances. She had sensed the depth of his dedication to her, and she could tell the bond between them was strong. Now that Fury was in the hands of evil, he must be suffering so...and she had made it worse by denying him a lifetime of happiness with her, all because he did not return the love she had for him.

Beginning to weep, Hamorette walked into the ruined bluebells and retrieved his helmet, now splattered with dirt. Pressing her forehead to it, her knees buckled and she sat, a sobbing mess, amidst the crushed flowers as she felt her dreams fall like rain with her tears.

* * *

"Uh-oh..." Pashmina's eyes widened in horror as they followed Screech in his lone trek across the garden. "That did not go as I expected it to..."

"What '_appened_?" Bijou asked, in shock over what they had just witnessed. "Eet...eet was all going zo well, and zen suddenly, 'e was zrowing hees 'elmet and ztorming off! What could 'ave gone wrong?"

"Ookwee..." Penelope watched the weeping Princess with a sorrowful expression.

Sprint backed away from the balcony solemnly, his scarlet eyes clouded. "This isn't good..." He murmured, worried and slightly fearful. "I never thought he would actually _ask _her...especially not now, when Dreamland is in danger! Ugh, he has such _horrible _timing! Whoever convinced him to do that is seriously going to regret it now!" He slapped a paw to his forehead, but still looked very concerned, alarming the girls. "I have to go talk to him!" He turned to bolt out the door.

"Wait!" Siren lurched forward, the look of worry on her face mirroring Sprint's. He stopped, surprised, and looked down at her quizzically. "I'm coming with you! I've never seen my brother so _angry _before!" One look from those azure eyes, and Sprint couldn't turn her down. Motioning for her to follow, the two hamsters ran four-legged for the door, and slammed it shut behind them, off in pursuit of the enraged Screech.

Sandy looked down over the ledge of the balcony and saw that Hamorette had not moved, and remained sobbing in the gardens. Instantly, her heart burned with sympathy, and she could tell that the others felt the same, as their expressions were also sad and empathetic. How could they have been so completely off-base with this situation? It baffled them, how things had transpired.

"Come on, girls...I think like, a certain Princess needs some shoulders to cry on!"

* * *

Siren and Sprint caught up with Screech as he was chucking his knee guards at the front doors of the castle, nearly decapitating them as they flung the doors open, but sailing over their heads instead and landing on the marble floor with twin clangs. "Screech!" Sprint bellowed, as said hamster turned to storm off into the bustling streets of Hamwall, not in the mood for any company.

"Wait! We saw what happened!"

Screech whirled to face his best friend and little sister as they raced down the front stairs to meet him. He was plainly seething. "You _saw_?" He demanded hotly, looking from one to the other with intense cerulean eyes.

"Yeah...long story," Siren waved a paw, not exactly eager to tell him they had been spying, and returned to the subject. "But seriously, Screech, what _happened _between you and the Princess? Things seemed to be fine, but then you got all violent and stormed off! What did she _say _to you?"

"Well..." He clenched his jaw and stared up into the sky, as if remembering the exact words made him angrier. "I asked her if she would permit me to marry my girlham, and she _said _that she would allow it. But then, just when I thought everything was going to work out, she got angry at me for no reason and forbade me from it!"

Siren's face clouded with confusion. Something wasn't adding up. "Wait a minute..." She trailed slowly, brow furrowed as her thoughts raced. "...Who's your _girlham_?"

"Fury..." Screech huffed, and, as he mentioned her name, his mood seemed to lift a little, only to return with a vengeance. "The wielder of the Staff of Nightmares. We've been seeing each other secretly for about ten months now. Naturally, I had to keep it a secret from the Princess, as the law does not approve of knights marrying, or even seeing other hamsters in a romantic way, but I figured, if she saw how important it was to me, she would allow the union. When she did I was thrilled, but then she _changed _her mind!"

Siren's eyes widened, and she glanced up at Sprint, who looked far less surprised. His face was set into a grim expression, eyes lightless. Apparently, he had known about Fury and Screech, and had been expecting this to happen...

Screech sighed, and his anger seemed to drain from him slowly, leaving him looking disgruntled and thoroughly unhappy. "I told her how it meant so much to me...and she _forbade _it. Certainly, she will never allow Fury to see me again, once she returns. And I can't imagine us being apart!" Depressed, the jilted Casanova plopped down on the bottom step, holding his chin up with his paws, cerulean eyes sorrowful. He sighed again, and squeezed his eyes shut. "I can barely stand it now..."

Siren was both surprised to hear that she had been dead wrong about the relationship between Hamorette and Screech, and that he had, since the last time she had seen her brother, turned into a hopeless romantic and acquired a companion he was willing to sacrifice his powerful position for. However, she could sense his pain on the matter, and sat down on the stair beside him, placing a paw on his back and patting him comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Screech..."

Sprint sat down on his other side. "I know Fury means a lot to you, Screech," He said earnestly. "But you had to know that Princess Hamorette would be against it. She has us on the short leash most of the time..."

"No..." Screech replied. "I thought she'd be fine with it. She even said she was willing to bend that stupid no-marriage law for the knights. But then, right after I told her it was Fury I wanted to marry...she just changed her mind. It was really _bizaroo_. I've never seen the Princess angry before, but of course, that just made _me_ blash-T and all...probably shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

Sprint frowned, but chuckled somewhat brightly. "Hey, pal, it's alright. You're the best knight in Dreamland. Princess Hamorette trusts you more than she trusts anyone else, and she knows how mad you get sometimes...I'm sure she'll welcome you back to your positon with open arms."

"I don't _want _it back if she's going to be repressive of my desire to marry Fury!" Screech replied, indignant.

Sprint sighed. "You don't mean that. You love being a knight."

"Yeah, but I love Fury _more_."

The sincerity in his voice was enough to make Siren (and Sprint, for that matter) want to vomit, but they refrained, for his sake. Before she could try another bout of comforting words, Screech got to his feet and began to trudge off into town, now just about unrecognizable to the public since his armor was gone. They both sprang to their feet as well, but stopped short when he raised a paw at them. "Thank-Q, guys, but I think I need to be alone to sort out my thoughts...I'll see you both later." And with that, he slouched off into the crowd and disappeared.

Sprint and Siren watched him go with worried gazes. After they were sure he was gone, they looked to each other. "I've never seen him so...._bluhoo_," Siren said quietly, hanging her head. "It makes me feel terrible! Why wouldn't the Princess permit him to marry Fury?"

Sprint shook his head. "It's a really long story...." He was about to give her the condensed version, when a brilliant idea struck him without warning, and he acted immediately, half-instinct, half-impulse. "But...if you _really_ want to know the whole story, I can tell you. If we can find a comfortable place to actually _passchat_...I don't think we'll be having lunch with the Princess so distraught..."

Siren didn't know the area, but was willing if she would get to learn about the strange predicament with Fury, Hamorette, and Screech. She nodded to Sprint, and, delighted, he offered, "Well, there's a really nice sunflower seed cafe just a few streets away. It's pretty quiet in there, so we won't be interrupted, and it's a pretty complex story, so it might take some time..."

"Okay, then....let's go."

And, as she walked side by side with the older, taller hamster, painfully aware of how good-natured he was being and how kind his smile was, Siren tried to keep her mind on her worry for Screech rather than the mysterious, impishly interesting Sprint, who also seemed to have a very similar, keen interest in her as well.

* * *

The girls bolted out of Sprint's room a moment later to head down to the gardens and the weeping Hamorette, but ran into Stan in the hall and were halted. "Woah, woah!" He shouted, holding both paws up in defense, as they nearly trampled him, stopping just short of plowing right through him and the maracas hanging limply in his paws. "What's the deal, hamettes? Where you lovely ladies....and _Sandy_....off to in such a _gogo_?" He asked, eyes curious.

"No time to explain!" Pashmina exclaimed breathlessly. "But...Screech just got mega blash-T at the Princess and now she's crying down in the gardens!"

Hamtaro, who had heard pounding pawsteps and Stan's shout, moseyed out of his room and into the hallway to see what the ruckus was, while the other hamboys remained chatting in their rooms. Seeing the accumulation of concerned hamgirls, and Stan, congregated in the hallway, he ambled over and questioned innocently, "Hamha, ham-hams! What are you all standing in the hallway for? We should be off exploring Dreamland pretty soon!"

"Somezing terrible 'as 'appened!" Bijou commented, wringing her paws. "Princess Hamorette is 'eartbroken! And eet looks like Screech has quit hees job as a knight!"

"We have to go and see if she's okay!" Sandy finished.

For once, Stan sensed the severity of the situation and didn't run off to try and seduce the apparently heartbroken Hamorette, and, instead, put his arm around Sandy to calm her down. The rest of the hamgirls, sense of hurry fading slightly, also calmed a little and began to really assess the situation before acting impulsively. "Relax, sis...tell us the whole story."

Pashmina obliged instead. "Well...we were kind of spying on the Princess and Screech as they were talking in the gardens. It was a very bad thing to do, we know...but we had a reason! We all thought that they were in smoochie and about to confess undying love to one another!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

At this, Hamtaro's expression grew slightly confused.

"Whoah, dudettes!" Stan looked taken aback. "Where did you guys get _that _from?"

Sandy shrugged. "We thought we had it all figured out. Like, Hamorette told us she liked Screech, and then he came to the door and asked her to go and like, talk about something important."

A look of grim realization dawned on Stan's face. "Hold it..." He trailed. "Did Screech ask her to talk like, just about twenty minutes ago?" He asked, looking a bit queasy, like he knew something that would make the confusion vanish, but replace it with a very sad sense of truth.

"Oui..." Bijou replied with a nod of her head, seeing the solemnity on his face. "Why?"

Hamtaro looked like he were straining to think of something.

"Well, like...sorry to burst your bubble hamettes..." Stan told them with a sad smirk as he scratched behind his head. "But about twenty minutes ago us guys convinced Screech to go and ask Hamorette to let him go and rescue something he'd lost to Steel. But, when he left, he seemed to have something else on the brain...something more. He didn't mention _smoochie_ like, at all..."

The realization then hit the hamgirls as well, and they were horrified. "Gasp-P!" Sandy exclaimed. "We had everything all wrong! This is like, _awful_!"

Stan looked confused. "I didn't think he'd like...quit, over the whole thing. He made it sound serious, though. Makes me wonder what Steel stole from him to make him that like, mad determined, you know? And why the Princess wouldn't let him go and rescue whatever it is..." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps this would be a chance for him to use his excellent detective skills...

It was then that Hamtaro remembered. Not knowing that he was bringing up something very crucial, he threw his arms out and declared, just as cheerful as usual, "Well, he _does _have a girlham!"

Five pairs of stunned eyes turned to stare at him, and five mouths fell agape, like he had just said something completely heinous. Hamtaro was instantly confused, and shrank back slightly, as a tense silence filled the hallway. "Erm...hams?" Hamtaro asked after a moment of being stared at in horror, his brow furrowed and his stomach lurching nervously.

"Uh...what's up? Was it something I said?"

* * *

**CFB:** Oh, Hamtaro...you clueless little ham-ham. You have no idea what is coming for you...

**Next time:** The true nature of the love triangle is revealed; the story behind Fury and Screech and how Hamorette fits in. Plus, Sprint and Siren encounter a rude waitress named Flo. Then, Hamtaro's lack of comprehension proves to be too much for our favorite, snow colored ham, and Roberto confuses Laura once again.


	8. Bad Times on Cloud Nine

**CFB: **Chapter 7 time! Gosh, this story is flying! I just hope I can keep up the pace I have...

**Thanks: All who read and reviewed! I already sent review replies, but thanks again!**

**This Time:** The true nature of the love triangle between three Dreamlanders, Screech, Hamorette, and Fury, is revealed! Siren and Sprint encounter an incredibly rude waitress named Flo, and Hamtaro makes a mistake he never intended to, and hurts the feelings of a ham-ham extremely important to him. Plus, Roberto confuses Laura even more....Read and see!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

* * *

**Chapter 7**: _Bad Times On Cloud Nine_

"He has a _girlham_!?!?" Pashmina shrieked, paws flying to her face.

Hamtaro, realizing that his revelation was why they were shocked, relaxed slightly and nodded, beaming. _That _was all it was; why did they look so horrified about it? "Yep-P! He told me that she got mad at him one time for saying that the clouds didn't look sparkly, or something like that..."

"_When_?" Sandy demanded, as she, the other hamgirls, and Stan crowded around a bemused Hamtaro, who took a cautious step back.

"I don't know, it was _his_ story..." Hamtaro could feel some furs on the back of his neck standing up, though he wasn't altogether sure why. the ham-hams sure were looking at him funny...

"No, when did he tell you this? That he had a girlham?" Pashmina asked, exasperated.

Hamtaro scratched his head with thought. "Huh...when was it again?...Oh yeah! Down in the gardens, earlier today!"

"How? None of the rest of us heard that!" Stan piped up.

Hamtaro thought about it, trying hard to remember the brief encounter with Siren's elder brother. "Well, he looked kind of sad while he said it. And he was whispering, sort of. Like he didn't want anyone to really hear him except me...but I don't really know why he would do that. I mean, that's not something you normally keep secret...is it?" He tilted his head, eyes somewhat distant.

Things slowly began to morph into sense, but a sense that none of the ham-hams had expected. "Who ees eet?" Bijou asked, in a low, somewhat tremulous voice. This was beginning to turn into one of those romance novels Maria liked reading so muc, complete with plot twists and seemingly-impossible live triangles...

"Who?" Hamtaro asked innocently.

"THE GIRLHAM!" The other five bellowed, nearly sending poor, clueless Hamtaro careening backwards with the force of their voices.

"Fury. The hamnapped Protector of Slumber."

The ham-hams, startled, whirled around to see Joy, face somber as she walked slowly down the hall toward them on silent paws. Amber eyes sorrowful, and Staff of Dreams held limply in one paw, she offered them a humorless smile and sighed deeply. "I should have known this would all end horribly...now everything is out in the open..." She murmured, coming to a stop beside her new friends, ears drooping slightly. Her prediction had come true, in perhaps the worst way possible.

"Screech 'as been zeeing _Fury_?" Bijou asked, stunned cerulean eyes wide.

"And he's not secretly in _smoochie _with the Princess?" Pashmina asked.

Joy nodded, then shook her head. "Yes, he has been secretly seeing Fury, and no, he's not in smoochie with Princess Hamorette. For about just as long as he's been in Dreamland, he's been with Fury....but he's _never_ felt that way for Princess Hamorette. Just now, when he spoke to the princess, he had Fury on his mind, and not her, as I'm sure everyone thought...she is the priceless thing he lost to Steel."

The ham-hams immediately felt a wave of regret, guilt, and sorrow overtake them. Somehow, this entire situation had gone terribly wrong, and they couldn't help but feel that it could have been prevented somehow, so that maybe there would be no heartbreak, furious tempers, or forbidden loves and futile hopes being dashed. They had been so ready to celebrate the smoochie of Hamorette and Screech, only to find that it had never even existed. No ham-ham fairytale they had ever read had ended with such gut-wrenching twists!

Joy sighed again, melancholic. "I'll tell you the story. The _true_ story."

* * *

"He ran into her and knocked her down while he was carrying _books_?"

To Siren, this seemed incredulous. She didn't even really think that Screech read very much.

But Sprint just nodded, sipping his hazelnut tea as the pair sat at a window seat inside Dreamland's Sunshine Ray Cafe. There weren't too many other hamsters around, so they were free to discuss the strange love triangle between Fury, Screech, and the Princess in relative privacy, while they leaned their elbows on a pure white table, without worrying too much about suspicions from others.

"Yep-P. She got a bruise on her arm, and he felt so terrible for it. Since he was new to the castle and all, he told her he'd make it up to her, not wanting to make a bad impression on a Protector of Slumber. Personally, I think his insistence scared her a little. Every time she turned a corner, there he'd be...saying _oopsie_. One time he gave her flowers and I think she almost had a heart attack. But one day, as he was reciting a poem that he wrote for her, she lost it and told him to 'shut up,' but he came back to his room that night and told me, voice totally amazed, that she was a 'feisty one.' It only made him more determined."

Siren giggled. Despite how bleak the situation seemed in the present tense, she liked hearing this story, from a past when things had worked out fine, unlike that afternoon.

Sprint grinned. "He started to like her though, during that whole deal. So, eventually, he just started seeking her out because he liked talking to her and spending time with her. You haven't met Fury, but she's really shy, so she was kind of reluctant to be hammos with anyone but Joy, her hamigo since they were babies. But Screech was persistent. Between training sessions, he'd go off and try to find her, always eager to see how her day went. Screech's a dedicated guy...he got through to her eventually."

He cast his crimson eyes to the window, tracing a paw along the contours of the table. "They became boyham and girlham not too long later. But, since the knights aren't allowed to have girlhams, they had to keep it a secret. Screech wasn't _officially _a knight yet, so he wasn't too careful about it at first. Lots of the knights have secret girlhams, and Hamorette doesn't really mind all that much. Fury, however, was scared. But she liked Screech a lot too, so they would sneak out to see each other at night, or just wait until days they were given time off. I don't talk to Fury a whole lot about their relationship, but I know Screech is wild about her. He tells her everything, and she trusts him with everything...her _darkest _secrets."

Siren sighed contentedly. But Sprint's face suddenly clouded over, and the story took a darker turn that made Siren's heart constrict lightly.

"Things got really hard for them when Screech got picked to be Head Knight. He was suddenly with Princess Hamorette all day, just about everyday, save a half-day off each week. So, the Princess kept a close eye on him at all times. She started to have feelings for him not too long after that, but he's about a dense as a rock and didn't notice, though just about everyone else in the castle did, _including _Fury. Fury was scared that Hamorette would find out about them, but they stayed together anyway. I covered for him while they went out, and so did Joy. Luckily, we wear armor all the time, so when Screech went out with Fury no one recognized him without it. He was sure everything would work out in the end."

Sprint sighed deeply. "Screech and Fury were in _smoochie_, there's no doubt about that. Keeping it _hushie _was hurting him, though. He's mentioned to me that he wants to marry her, though Hamorette would never allow it because she has feelings for him too. My guess is that he misses her, and that led to him getting fed up with not being allowed to have a public relationship, and all of that combined made him go and ask the princess to revoke the no-marriage clause and let him go rescue her, which obviously had disastrous results. So Fury's still hamnapped, Screech is blash-T, and the Princess is heartbroken."

Siren felt her ears droop. The story had started so nicely, but ended with an awful conclusion. "How _bluhoo_..." Everything had gone awfully awry. "_Is there any way to fix this mess?"_ She couldn't help but wonder thoughtfully, troubled azure eyes looking at the carefree, crowded streets outside. No ideas sprang to mind.

Sprint shrugged then, and was about to go on when the somewhat surly waitress-ham brought their food out. She slid an apple tart in front of Siren's watering mouth, and a carrot biscuit in front of Sprint. Actually she set Siren's plate down gently and offered her a kind, "Enjoy, sweetheart!" and practically tossed Sprint's plate down in front of him without a word, her nose haughtily in the air, refusing to look at him. Then, she flounced off, while Sprint nonchalantly sipped his tea.

"Thank-Q!" He called after her, as if nothing had happened.

Siren was shocked. The waitress had been so kind to her, but so rude to Sprint! "What was that about?" She asked softly, though she remembered what Hamorette had said earlier about the local residents not taking too kindly to Sprint's heritage, and she had an inkling that the two were linked.

Sprint looked a little ashamed, cheeks tinged red, and he couldn't look Siren in the eye. "Well, being a Dark Lander has it's downfall. Most hamsters around here have a bit of..._trouble_, accepting that I'm one of Hamorette's chosen knights. They think I'm going to betray Dreamland, or go against the princess somehow. And all because of these..." He pointed to his crimson irises, then shrugged. "It's been getting better though. She didn't spit in my tea this time. At least, I hope she didn't..."

Siren felt terrible, and she instantly felt a deep wave of sympathy wash over her as Sprint, afraid to see her reaction, looked out the window at the bustling streets, pretending that he was interested in them. She stared at his plate, where a slightly misshapen carrot biscuit sat, looking like it had been squished by someone's paw.

"Didn't you order a strawberry muffin?" She asked quietly.

He chuckled hollowly, a trace of his impishness returning. "Yep. But you see, I've caught on to these tricks...now, whenever I come here, I order what I _don't _want, and they usually bring me something I _do _want instead. So they're the ones getting tricked! Haha!" He sniffed his biscuit. "_Hiff hiff_...but this looks kind of like they sat on it, doesn't it?"

Siren couldn't help but flash a quick smile at that, but her heart still throbbed painfully for him. She had only known him a short time, but felt like she could empathize, and wanted to make the sad look on his face disappear. His smile was so charming, after all...

"I kind of know what you mean..." She started, nibbling the corner of her tart, looking out the window too, hoping that the situation would not become any more awkward after she shared this with him. "Because of the black markings on my face, I got banished from my colony. They didn't accept that I looked different from my brothers and sisters."

Sprint, ears perking up, turned to look at her with surprised crimson eyes. "...Screech didn't mention _that_."

Siren smiled faintly. The memory seemed so far-away now. "I had a bit of trouble accepting it too. So, when I met the ham-hams, I was really scared that they would find out I was the Guardian, and they wouldn't want to be my hammo anymore. I lied to them, and put them in terrible danger. But they accepted me anyway. It made me very happy, and now we're hamigos! They're the best hamsters in the world!"

Sprint smiled too, cheering somewhat, with a warm glow returning to his bright red eyes. "They sound like good hammos to have..." He marveled. "You're lucky to have them. Just like I'm lucky to have Screech, the Princess, Joy, Fury, and the Watchers as hammos. No matter where I'm from, they accept me for the ham that I am!" His smile turned to a beam as he grew more assured of herself, and he took a large bite out of his biscuit, no matter how misshapen it was. "Besides..." He considered after swallowing. "I like myself. And I don't _think _I'm going to go running off the join Steel anytime soon."

Siren chuckled, pleased to see him keep good spirits. "And these black markings haven't killed me or the Guardian yet, like the Halem elders thought they would!"

Instantly, the awkwardness faded away and Sprint and Siren grinned at each other across the table, pleased that each had found someone to relate to. However, their momentary happiness was short-lived. The waitress, who had been not-so-politely 'listening in' on the conversation between Siren and Sprint, moseyed over to their table and glared down at the pair with icy eyes. Her paws rested firmly on her hips, and she had a condescending grimace on her face that made Sprint look up at her with a quizzical expression. Startled, Siren stammered, face turning red, "C-can we help you?"

"Did I hear you mention that you're the _Guardian_, young ham? _The _Guardian?" Her voice was commanding and brisk, and loud enough to draw much more attention from the few other patrons of the cafe. Instantly, Siren sensed the extra eyes on her, and she felt her face heat up.

"Yep-P..." Siren replied, somewhat reluctantly. She exchanged a look with a befuddled Sprint, who then looked at the waitress like she'd grown two heads.

"So _you're _one of the brave heroes Princess Hamorette sent for?" As scoff followed the question.

Siren, still very confused, merely nodded. What was this waitress's problem?

The waitress frowned deeply at Siren, and placed her paws on the table. Siren and Sprint noticed that her nametag read 'Flo' and she was the employee of the month, though the sour look on her face made Sprint think that there wasn't much competition for that title. Voice dripping with malice, Flo barked at a caught-off-guard Siren, making the four other couples in the cafe stare even more in their direction,

"I should _think _that the Guardian of all hamsterkind would have better judgement! Being seen in public with riffraff like _this _- " Here, she pointed an accusatory paw at Sprint, who flinched slightly, " - is _hardly _appropriate!"

She stared with burning brown eyes between Siren and Sprint for a long, silent moment. The tension in the cafe was almost stifling, but she remained waiting for an answer, paw resting haughtily on her hip. And she was going to get one. But likely not the one she was expecting.

Normally, in situations like these, Siren would revert into 'meek mode' and not make a scene; choosing instead to let the issue drop without confrontation. However, today was different. She looked over to Sprint, who was vainly trying to act like Flo's words had no effect on him. Then, she peered up at Flo, who looked enraged and a tiny bit spiteful as she glared venemously at the knight. And while Siren normally blushed crimson with embarrassment in times like these, she suddenly didn't seem to mind that all eyes and ears in the cafe were on their table. It only gave her an audience for her next act.

"_I _don't think he's riffraff!" Siren declared stubbornly, feeling the burning need to defend her new friend.

Flo was taken aback, not expecting Siren to reply like that. So was Sprint, who directed his '_are you crazy_?' look back onto Siren. He was not only surprised, but he felt his heart give a little jump when he saw the infuriated expression slowly crossing his new friend's face. No one had ever defended him publicly before...not even Hamorette or Screech, even though they also accepted his heritage. No one had voiced their willingness to befriend him in front of other hamsters, no matter where he was from. And here was Siren, doing just that...

"_What _was that?" Flo asked icily, refusing to back down. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and she crossed her paws over her chest. Her face turned beet red under her brown fur, matching her ruby-colored uniform. It was evident that she was growing even more angry.

"I _said_ I don't think he's riffraff!" Siren repeated, louder than before, to make sure Flo got her message. "And he's _not!_" In truth, that wasn't a statement she could claim as total truth, seeing as she had only known him such a short while. But now, it was her gut reaction, and she knew in her heart that she spoke the truth.

Flo hissed, "But this hamster is a Dark Lander! You see his red eyes, don't you?"

"So?" Siren countered with a scoff of her own. "It doesn't matter where someham's from, or what they look like! It's what kind of ham they are on the inside! And Sprint is a very good ham! I haven't known him very long, but I _know _he is! And anyone who can't see that must be the _riffraff_!"

With that, she hopped to her feet, abandoning the booth, and pushed past Flo, who wrinkled her nose with distaste as a seething Siren headed for the door, steam practically pouring from her ears. Sprint, somewhat bewildered and equally as awed by the scene his best friend's sister had just made, threw a couple of seeds down on the table for payment and bounded after her, still in a state of both bewilderment and awe.

"Wait up, Siren!"

He caught up with Siren as she threw the door open (nearly slamming him in the face by accident) and stormed out of the cafe, the other patrons staring at them with mouths agape and eyes incredibly wide. Flo stuck her head through the door at them, and had the last word, as she spat, brown eyes burning, "I don't want to see either of you set paw in this cafe ever _again_!"

She slammed the door to the cafe shut, and the bell hanging above it gave a small tinkle of finality. A few bystanders on the street stopped to watch for a moment, wondering about Siren's furious expression and Screech's expression of mixed shock and wonder, before going along with their busy lives. One look at Siren's raging expression told them that they would be better off _not _asking what had happened, lest they also be the cause of her ire.

Sprint watched the door slam and Flo disappear in a huff before turning awed crimson eyes onto Siren, who was still miffed as they stood on the mildy busy sidewalk. "That waitress was so _rude_!" Siren exclaimed, throwing her paws up with exasperation, before she huffed, glowering angrily at the sparkling blue cobblestones. "That apple tart wasn't very good either!"

Sprint sighed, glad that they had escaped Flo, but feeling a bit guilty about the whole ordeal. He had gotten them banished from the cafe, and he hated to think he had embarrassed Siren. And even though his ears drooped slightly, his heart still jumped a little bit every time he remembered how vehemently Siren had defended him. "You didn't have to stand up to her for _my _sake, Siren. I don't want you in trouble because of me. I appreciate it though, even if you didn't mean it."

Siren glanced up at him in surprise, and was pained to see a look of hurt in his eyes. "Why wouldn't I have meant it?" She asked, suddenly very aware of her actions as her cheeks turned slightly pink. She'd never, _ever _stood up to anyone quite so angrily before, sans Spyke, but that was under radically different circumstances. She didn't really know what had come over her...it had all happened so fast. What could have sparked that transformation inside of her...?

"I mean..." She stammered, as he gazed at her imploringly. "I really don't know you that well, but I can tell you're a good ham. You're nice, for one, and you must be strong to be a knight, and I gotta admit you're pretty funny...that joke about the biscuit was a good one...plus you don't treat me like I'm a mystical creature, like a lot of other hams do..." Realizing she was babbling, and her rambling was making a wide smile spread across Sprint's face, she clamped her mouth shut and prayed that her cheeks would stop burning.

Sprint's dampened mood was lifted immensely by these words. His ears perked up, and he couldn't stop the smile. "You...really think so?" He asked, still somewhat doubtful. "I mean, you didn't think so highly of that other Dark Lander guy....Spyke?" He knew he was crossing into dangerous territory, but something compelled him to bring that name up anyway. So long as she didn't know how closely connected he was to that name...he shuddered to think what her reaction would be.

Siren shrugged. "Well, he was a bad guy. You're not. You're a good ham." She tried to make it sound simple, like it wasn't a big deal...but it meant more to him that she even imagined.

Overcome, Sprint didn't even think before he enveloped a surprised Siren in a hug. Joy radiating off of him, he lifted her right off her feet and twirled her around a few times, laughing boisterously, like he had suddenly been freed from some kind of prison. "Sprint!" She shrieked, caught of guard as she blushed from the roots to the tips of her fur. She had never been hugged quite like that before, and even though she had been caught of guard, she couldn't deny that she enjoyed it. Though many bystanders were staring at them again...

He put her down after a moment, and scratched behind his head, unable to stop smiling. "Oopsie! Guess I caught you a little off guard. It's just that no one's ever done something like that for me before; standing up for me in public. I don't even do it for myself! You're really _something_, Siren! A real feisty one!"

She kept on blushing. "Well...thanks..." She mumbled, embarrassed.

He abruptly grabbed her paw, still beaming, and began to practically drag her down the street. "We'd better get back to the castle...the princess must be wondering where I am, and your friends will be missing you!" He made it seem like they were in a _gogo_, though it was a nice excuse to continue holding her paw. As they walked, he couldn't help but admit maybe Screech had a point when it came to certain things...paw-holding certainly felt better than he had thought.

And Siren didn't appear to have any objections to it either.

* * *

"Zat's zo zweet!" Bijou cooed, once Joy had finished explaining how Screech and Fury had become a couple.

Joy nodded, smiling in spite of the situation. "It really is. They're really _greatchu _together! Fury is wild about him, even though she was apprehensive about it at first. She even framed a poem he wrote for her! Unfortunately, knights are forbidden from marrying...even having a girlham is against the rules! I'm guessing he felt the need to admit his courtship with Fury to Princess Hamorette today...and that's why this whole mess happened."

"I feel sad for Princess Hamorette..." Pashmina hung her head - even her scarf looked a bit limp. "But I feel bad for Screech and Fury too! They must want to be together very badly..." Beside her, Penelope muttered a sad, "Ookwee..."

"Why aren't knights allowed to get married?" Hamtaro asked, his spirits also dampened by the story. He also wasn't entirely sure about what the whole concept of marriage _was_, but didn't feel that this was the right time to ask.

Joy frowned. "It's an old law. King Hamvil wanted the knights of Dreamland to be focused on their duty, and nothing else. Therefore, he forbade them from marrying, or even having relationships. It was during a time when some of the great hamster kingdoms were hostile...he had a new family, and a newborn daughter, and he didn't want anything to get in the way of their safety. That included avoiding all fighting if possible, and making sure the knights were totally devoted to Dreamland, and _only _Dreamland."

Sandy's brow furrowed. "That's, like, really _bluhoo_. What if a knight falls in _smoochie_? They can't like, do anything about it?" She imagined not being able to sit and talk happily with Maxwell anymore, and she immediately detested the rule.

Joy shook her head. "Technically, Fury and I aren't _supposed _to have boyhams either, but...she wouldn't enforce the rule so much with us as she does with the knights. Now that Fury and Screech are out in the open, I have an awful feeling that the Princess won't allow them to be together, unless Screech really means to resign. I trust the Princess with my life and the welfare of Dreamland..." Her frown deepened. "But, well....Heke hath no fury like a hamgirl scorned."

"We should go talk to her!" Pashmina suggested, eying the hallway eagerly. "I'm sure she needs a shoulder, or five, to cry on, and maybe we can persuade her to see things from Screech's point of view! Somehow, I'm sure everybody can be happy."

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Joy smiled tightly, but waved a paw to stop everyone as they prepared to head for the gardens. Amber eyes sad, she said "Thank-Q for the gesture, ham-hams, but I think it's best if you do not become involved in this situation. The Princess is delicate, and I'm afraid that Screech, Sprint, and I are the only three who know her best, so it's best to leave her in my paws...." She glanced away. "I'm sure the excitement of the citizens has died down, somewhat. Please, feel free to go and roam around Dreamland. I know you've been wanting to take in the sights! Bye-Q!"

With a swish of her magenta bandana, she scurried down the hallway and out of sight, leaving the girls, as well as Stan and Hamtaro, standing alone in the hallway, that seemed far more empty and desolate than before. "What a tragic tale of lost, forbidden _smoochie_!" Bijou sighed. "I wish zat no more 'earts will be broken! But I do not zink zis can be our main focus!"

"Yeah! We're here for a very important mission!" Sandy added, pumping a paw. "We can't get too sidetracked, so let's like, go try and have some fun before we have to go and show that steel guy who's like, boss!"

Stan, not quite as depressed as the others, gave his maracas a jovial shake and declared, "You heard the girl, hams! There's not much else we can do here, so let's get this party started and go sightseeing!" He poked his head inside the door to the boys' room and hollered, "Hey, hamdudes! Joy gave us the okay! It's time to start scoping the streets!"

"All right!" Boss barreled out the door first, the sound of Snoozer's snoring wafting out into the hallway. "I want to get as much sightseeing in as possible before I have to lend a paw with the planning!" He bolted down the hallway, toward the stairs and an eventual exit. "Later, ham-hams!"

The other hamboys streamed out as well, chattering excitedly. Pashmina and Penelope joined the crowd, as did Sandy, calling, "Maxwell, wait up!" as the bookish ham walked down the hallway with his nose already buried in a book, and she scurried off to catch up with him. The ham-hams were eager to begin their foray into the magical, mystical Dreamland, and soon, only Hamtaro and Bijou were left in the hall. The former was ready to embark on a sightseeing venture as well, but Bijou placed a paw on his arm to prevent him from going. He turned around to face her, and saw a clouded, hazy, and vaguely sad look swirling in her cerulean blue eyes, and her mouth was firmly set into a frown.

"Heke?" He tilted his head sideways, stopping in his tracks, a bit concerned by her expression. "What's up, Bijou? Don't you want to go and look around Dreamland with the others?"

She did not reply right away, and soon, her eyes grew even sadder as she stared decidedly at the floor, looking like she were holding back tears. Even her jaunty pigtails seemed to hang a little droopier than they normally would, a sure sign that something was wrong. For some reason, this made Hamtaro's chest constrict slightly, and he wished she would smile, more than anything. Anything, so that she wouldn't look so crushed. Seeing her like this made his normally high spirits plummet.

He was about to attempt to cheer her up when she finally spoke, her voice quiet, but resilient in the otherwise abandoned hallway, as it radiated softly off the stone walls.

"Hamtaro...why deed you not tell us zat Screech 'ad a girlham?"

Hearing this, his brow crinkled with confusion. That was what was making her so sad? Confused as to why this would make Bijou look so devastated, Hamtaro scratched nervously behind his head and said, "Well...I didn't think it was that important, Bijou."

This, Hamtaro decided once he saw the devastation on Bijou's face, was not the answer she had been hoping for.

Abruptly, the tears sprang into Bijou's eyes, a mixture of both anger and sorrow. Hamtaro took a large step backward, as she balled her tiny paws into fists and glared furiously at him, the tears spilling over onto snow-white cheeks. The very last thing he had meant to do was make Bijou cry, and he wasn't even sure what he had done to make her react in such a baffling way. He thought vainly for something he could say to make amends, something that would lessen either her anger, or sorrow, or both, but he came up with nothing. How could he mend this, when he didn't even know what he had done?

Bijou, however, had a few choice words.

"You...you..._silly boy_!" The term she usually used affectionately now shot out of her tremulous voice in fury, eyes ablaze as she glared at the clueless object of her affections. "'ow could you zink zat was not _important_! It was very important! You are..." Here, she shook her head, a few glimmering tears dissipating in the air as she felt her heart being slowly crumpled in her chest. "...are...zo '_opeless_! I don't even know _why _I am bothering!"

Sobbing, and silently seething, she pushed past Hamtaro and flew for the staircase, wanting to get as far away from her longtime crush as possible. And Hamtaro, positively bewildered, watched her go, feeling totally and utterly helpless as her strong words resonated in his ears and he was left alone to wallow in confusion in the hallway. His brown eyes grew sad, and with a sigh, he turned to stare out at the bright sun, filtering in through a window.

"Oh, cats..." He hung his head, feeling like he had just made a huge mistake...and he didn't even know what it had been.

* * *

"Man...I really wish hamsters were bigger."

Laura sighed as she shifted a pile of boxes in order to peer behind it. She stirred up a small cloud of dust, and both she and Roberto coughed lightly, shielding their eyes. Laura had forgotten that no one had been up in her attic for ages, but she didn't doubt that Hamtaro could have made his way up there somehow, so, when Roberto had walked home with her and Kana, this was the first place she had brought him to search for her furry friend. After she had rushed him out of the kitchen, to avoid her mother's cooing about how 'cute' Roberto was before she left for her flower arranging class, that is.

"Geez, Haruna...does anyone even come up here?" Roberto asked, wrinkling his nose as he spotted a couple of yellowing magazines, stacked droopily in the corner. He peered around them - no Hamtaro. "This is like...a decade worth of dust." He ignored the fact that she had only lived there for a couple of years.

As she peered into a moldy box, for good measure, Laura replied, "I don't think anyone comes up here anymore. Mom and Dad just put a bunch of things we didn't need up here. But Hamtaro might find this a good place to play, don't you think? There's a lot of trinkets and stuff he could hide in, right?"

"Well, I'm not a hamster, so I don't know."

Laura rolled his eyes. Even when he was trying to be helpful, Roberto still retained some jerk-like qualities. However, it brought a small smile to her lips. "If you were, you'd have the orangest fur imaginable!" She teased, as she moved a box of Christmas tree ornaments away to look behind it, though the only thing there was a cobweb; vacant, luckily.

Though his back was turned to her, Laura could tell that Roberto had rolled his eyes, and a smirk likely dressed his face. "Very funny, Haruna. Quite a _knee-slapper_."

Laura giggled, but the search pressed on in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, and there was the assorted sounds of papers, boxes, or other attic-dwelling artifacts moving, but Laura still found the silence a bit unnerving, and sought something to say. She finally settled on something he had mentioned earlier, asking, "So, Coach Kaz's wife is pregnant?"

"Yeah..." Roberto replied. "She's going to pop any day now, too. Every time Coach's phone rings at practice, I swear he's going to have a heart attack; it gets really annoying _really_ fast. She's at the doctor now, I guess, getting checked on, so we don't have practice...which is actually a good break from all the stupid, pointless arguing and glaring and idiocy..."

So, Roberto _did_ have an opinion on the matter that was tearing their friends apart.

There was a momentary pause. "I guess....things aren't so good with the team, then?" Laura asked quietly.

Roberto snorted. "Of course things aren't good. They're even worse than when Mika first showed up here, and it was terrible _then_! Travis may have won the position they were fighting for on the soccer team, but Reese wound up with the girl. So things are even _more _heated now, and Coach even banned Mika from ever coming to watch a practice. Not that she'll show her face anywhere Travis is...intentionally, anyway."

From what he said, Laura couldn't quite figure out what side Roberto had chosen, but decided to take a guess. "So you think what Mika and Reese did was pretty rotten too, huh?" She asked lightly, taking a dusty sheet off of a mirror to peer behind it, only to meet how own slightly distorted figure, a but fuzzy from the dust that had collected on the surface. She noticed, with chagrin, that her face was worried and her brow was furrowed, and that was plain to see even through the thin layer of dust.

There was another pause, and the sound of shifting boxes stopped. Laura began to gently brush away the dist from the mirror, biting her lip, while Roberto eventually replied, "It wasn't exactly the nicest thing they could have done, but I can understand why it happened."

Laura's hand froze on the cool, smooth surface of the mirror. Her eyes widened. "You...can?"

Roberto was silent for a moment, but shrugged. "Well, yeah. Travis liked Mika plenty, sure, but Reese..." His voice trailed off. Laura waited, running her fingers across the mirror again, leaving trails in the dust, as if to prove that she had been there. "It's not my place to tell you the story, but Reese...he has his reasons. He's a determined kid in general, but the whole tug-of-war over Mika drove him more than I've ever seen. And yeah, it was pretty low...but you've never seen the look on his face when he's with that girl. It's stupid and moronic and he's an idiot for it, but it makes you not want to be mad at either of them."

Laura had trouble believing that. Something was ominous in Roberto's tone...he knew more than he let on. He was somehow...closer to the situation, and she could tell.

"What could justify stealing your friend's girlfriend?"

Her question hung in the air, resilient. Her fingers froze on the mirror.

Roberto finally answered, his voice quiet and careful, "It's one of those situations that you can't judge until you know the whole story, Haruna. Gina, Josh, Reese, Mika, and I know the whole story. Kylie and Kory know most of it, but you, June, Kana, and Trav don't know the other _half_. And listening to that awful drivel June spews won't shed any light on it...the only way you can ever truly pick a side is if you ask Reese or Mika."

Laura wasn't sure she had enough courage to do that. Besides, she didn't want to divide her friendships any more by picking sides....they had been mutilated enough already. But what could Reese and Mika tell her that could possibly condone their betrayal? It did make her curious...

"So, now that Trav's free again, you gonna go after him Haruna?"

Roberto's offbeat question caught Laura off-guard and her face shone red. "What?!" She almost screeched, nearly tumbling over the discarded sheet on the floor as her feet became entangled. "Where did _that _come from, jerk?!"

Roberto didn't turn to face her, but shrugged. "I was just wondering, don't get your knickers in a twist." There wasn't a trace of humor in his voice, despite the usual insult.

"Just because Travis is single now doesn't mean I'm going to go after him! I'm still young; my parents probably won't even let me date boys yet!" Laura huffed indignantly, composing herself in front of the mirror, before bending down to disentangle her foot from the faded sheet. "Not that it's any of your business anyway! Who I like and don't like is not your concern!"

She supposed she didn't have to say all of that; a simple, "I don't know" or "Maybe" would have likely sufficed. But Laura couldn't deny that Travis still sent a few butterflies a-flurry in her stomach, and now that he was available again...she honestly didn't know what to think. But as she stood back up and faced the glossy surface of the mirror, she caught sight of Roberto's reflection behind her, looking strained, and even a bit disappointed, as he stared at her back.

"You're right. It's not my business."

His voice lacked it's usual, taunting, haughty tone. It had gone soft...reflecting the disappointed look on his tanned face. Laura's heart instantly gave a painful twinge, and she couldn't fight the overwhelming feeling that she had done something horribly wrong. How she wanted to take back the words she had snapped so sharply....

"Roberto..." She started, but bit her lip.

Roberto got to his feet and brushed himself off. "Travis was talking about you at lunch earlier today, so you might as well go for it. It's what you wanted, wasn't it?" His voice was now dull, almost mechanical, and she couldn't turn to face him directly. "Anyway, it's getting late. My parents will be wondering where I am. Good luck finding Hamtaro."

Briskly, he headed for the ladder that would take him out of the attic. Laura knew he was lying; she glanced at her watch and saw it was only four, and Roberto had said he didn't have to be home until six. "Roberto, wait!" Laura said, stronger now, wanting to amend this wrong, and fix the pain now thudding in her heart; make the strain on his face go away.

Roberto slammed the attic entrance behind him, and Laura rushed to the window, only to see him exit the house a minute later, and run down the street as fast as his lithe legs could carry him, not turning back to offer even a glance. Flashes of the cheerful, happier Roberto she had come to know over the summer blinked behind her eyelids, soon replaced by the image of his pained face only moments before. She wanted nothing more than to run after him, but simply slumped against the wall, allowing herself to slide down to the floor.

"_Travis was talking about you at lunch earlier today..._"

Right now, Laura couldn't have cared less if the raven-haired boy had been talking about her. No butterflies fluttered around in her stomach - not even one. There was only a hollow emptiness. None of that - that past - was important, and she could see that now. It had never been truer. Each time she tried to imagine her past feelings for Travis, all she was able to recall was that recent, disappointed expression from that orange-haired boy. All that mattered now was...

"_You're right. It's not my business._"

If it wasn't, why had he sounded like he wanted it to _be_ his business?

Sighing gravely, Laura rested her forehead wearily on her knees. Thins had been spiraling downward so rapidly lately, they just had to start turning up soon. They _had_ to...she didn't know how much more strife she could take before the toll on her became too much for her to bear.

* * *

**CFB:** Poor Roberto! And Laura, and Hamtaro, and Bijou....etc. Will things look up, as Laura predicts? Well, with me at the helm of this story you know things have to get worse before they get better....*_cackles ominously_*

**Next time:** The ham-hams look around Dreamland while Princess Hamorette plans a feast for them! What's the land in the clouds really like? And what happens when Cappy and a few others stumble into a very interesting shop? It's bound to be a treat...and maybe another plot point. Plus, Hamtaro has a defining moment in a place where heroes thrive...


	9. Chance of Heroes

**CFB:** I got bored. So I uploaded the next chapter.

**This time:** Time to look around Dreamland! Hamorette, though heartbroken, plans a special feast for the ham-hams! Will Screech return? Plus, some ham-hams wander into a curious shop and meet some new friends who may or may not have more significance than it seems. Then, seeds of heroism are planted in Hamtaro's heart once again! So, we plod through some more plot development! (I'm trying to get through it fast, because the action is coming in chapter #11!)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8:** _Chance of Heroes_

"My lady, are you sure you are alright?"

Joy's eyes glowed with concern as Hamorette lightly dabbed at her reddened eyes with a handkerchief. After finding the distraught princess down in the gardens, Joy had ushered her inside before a commotion could start, and the pair now sat on a couch in Hamorette's quarters, with Sprint, re-armored and on guard, standing outside the closed door. Screech had yet to return to the castle, but no one was quite sure if they _wanted _him to return at this point.

Hamorette hiccuped. "Yes, Joy. Unrequited love does not mean the end of the world..." The tears still leaking from the corners of her eyes begged to differ.

Joy smiled faintly. "It is a truly sad thing to see you cry, my lady."

Hamorette shrugged her pink-clad shoulders. Right now, she didn't much care how others were feeling. She had been the one rejected; tossed aside like year-old, moldy sunflower seeds. And she was still having some difficulty figuring out how all of this had happened, and how exactly her world had spiraled down into so much confusion and pain.

"Did...did you know of this secret romance between Fury and Screech, Joy?"

Joy went rigid, and her amber eyes shone apologetically, which was enough of an answer for Hamorette. She nodded understandingly, but looked away, toward her mirror. Catching a glimpse of her disheveled appearance, the princess hastily set to making herself look presentable again. Of course Joy had known....she and Fury were hamigos. Joy would keep a secret for Fury, no matter the cost and risk involved. Of course, that left Hamorette completely out in the cold. Sprint, being Screech's hamigo, surely knew of this as well. She had been the only one in the dark.

Joy looked hesitant, and squirmed uncomfortably. "Are you blash-T with me, your majesty?" She questioned softly, her amber eyes quivering apologetically.

Hamorette sighed and shook her head. "I'm mostly blash-T with myself right now, Joy. How could I not have seen that this would happen? All this time, Screech has been blind to my smoochie because he has been with Fury."

A silence fell. Joy wanted very much to ask what was to become of matters now - would Screech and Fury be condemned from seeing one another once Fury was rescued, would this have any effect on their campaign against Steel, would there be any demotions, etc. - but she denied her burning tongue and asked a more generic question instead, "Is there anything I can do for you, Princess?" After recent events, Joy would do just about anything.

Hamorette sighed. "I have much to plan, Joy. To honor the heros who have come to help us, I've decided to throw a grand banquet tonight, out in the rear courtyard. If you don't mind...I think I would like to be alone to make the preparations. Please tell Sprint he has the rest of the afternoon off as well, to do as he pleases..." Hopefully, planning the event would distract her thoughts.

"If you need anything I - "

"I'll be fine." The royals' voice was firmer this time.

Joy, reluctantly, turned and walked for the door, not wanting to displease the princess. She felt the need to apologize, but once again held her tongue once she saw Hamorette dab at her moist eyes with a tissue. One meager apology wasn't going to solve anything, or take any harsh words back. With a small sigh, Joy pulled the door open, shutting it quietly behind her, and told Sprint, who had been waiting patiently outside, the news.

* * *

"Cats, this place is eight times as big as Oak Tree Park!" Cappy marveled as he, Panda, Pashmina, Penelope, Oxnard, Howdy, and Dexter trailed in wonder through the sparkling streets of Dreamland. Joy had sent them off to sightsee, and they weren't about to let the beautiful day go to waste! There were still a few hours of daylight left, and they had several hours worth of sightseeing to fit in.

Pashmina smiled warmly. "And at least eight times as pretty, too!" She delighted in feeling the warm sunbeams on her face. Now that they were traipsing about among the clouds, the sun felt even more divine on their fur; like it was exactly the perfect distance away.

"Of course, it isn't as beautiful as _you_, Pashmina!" Dexter chimed in, sneaking up to walk beside the golden-furred hamgirl. "You're radiance glows far brighter than even these glimmering streets, and your fur is of the same quality as these glorious sunbeams!"

Pashmina smiled at him, a little unsurely. "Thank-Q, Dexter..." She wasn't certain how to take the compliment, so she instead shifted her attention. "Panda, are any stores catching your eye?" She turned to the carpenter ham curiously, Dexter sinking back, dejected, to Howdy's amusement.

Panda (A/N: I know this is random, but when I typed "Panda" I accidentally typed "Pando" the first time. Hahaha....Pando. Anyway...) looked around with interested eyes, but there was still a distant gleam in them, like he was both present and far-away. "Yoo-hoo!" Pashmina waved a paw in his face. "Earth to Panda! Or should I say, _Dreamland _to Panda!"

Panda was too busy drifting off into a daydream, or perhaps a day-nightmare, judging by his clouded face, and the other hams were so absorbed in the sightseeing, so neither Panda nor Pashmina, nor any of the other ham-hams, noticed that they were dangerously close to running into something...or, rather, someham, while their heads were occupied up in the clouds.

"Woah, there! You young'uns better watch where you're walking, eh?"

Startled by the gruff, yet friendly voice, the ham-hams stopped dead in their tracks and found themselves staring into the smiling face and sparkling blue eyes of a tan, middle-aged hamster, his fur shaggy and spiky, a dark brown moustache making his bright pink nose twitch mysteriously. A dark blue cap perched lazily on his head had the words 'Uncle C' embroidered on it in cerulean stitching. Seeing the ham-hams mildly bewildered expressions, the kindly hamster laughed, a deep, husky belly-laugh, and spread his arms out wide, as if he were about to gather the whole lot of them into some enormous bearhug.

"I haven't seen you young hams around Dreamland yet...If I'm not mistaken, then you all must be the brave heroes Princess Hamorette sent for! If that's the case, welcome to Dreamland! We've been looking forward to your arrival!" He laughed again, and the ham-hams warmed up to him instantly. He was like Santa Paws, with his deep chuckle and the twinkle in his eyes.

"Thank you so much!" Pashmina smiled brightly at him, while Penelope turned away shyly, hiding behind her best friend. "We're sorry we almost ran into you. This place is so amazing, we just got lost in the scenery!"

The middle-aged ham waved a dismissive paw at them and winked. "Don't worry yourself over it, sweetheart. Happens all the time! I take it you're enjoying your stay in Dreamland so far, then, right?" He asked curiously, adjusting his hat with one weathered paw. "Not too many hams from the regular world get to see it, after all."

"Oh, yes!" Dexter nodded, stepping forward. "It really does seem as if this place is right out of a dream!"

"We don't know where ter look first!" Howdy supplied.

"Every store looks like so much fun!" Oxnard marveled, though he was currently searching for a place to snack, not shop.

The hamster's bright eyes gleamed. "I may be able to assist you there, young'uns!" Pointing to a wooden sign just over his head, which the ham-hams immediately turned their eyes to, the kind hamster introduced himself with a debonair bow, "My name is Cumulonimbus, but everyone calls me Uncle C! And this here is _Uncle C's Hats for Hams_! The best store in all of Dreamland, and the coziest to boot!"

"Oh, C, must you be so eccentric?"

As soon as his little advertising pitch was finished, a female hamster, around the same age as Uncle C, stepped out of the finely carved doors of the store and into the sunlight, paws on her hips. She had warm, motherly green eyes and pure white fur, groomed down to the last strand. A ruffled, cobalt blue apron was around her waist. Smiling at the ham-hams, she said, "You must excuse my husband. He can't resist trying to attract new customers to our shop. My name is Skyla, and I'm co-manager of this little establishment. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Pashmina waved her paw cheerfully at the kindly couple, and introduced herself as well. "My name's Pashmina, and this here's Penelope, Panda, Howdy, Dexter, and Oxnard. The rest of our friends are off looking around elsewhere!" As she pointed to each hamster, they nodded and smiled. "Glad to meet you, Uncle C and Skyla!" The ham-hams chorused politely, bowing their heads.

"And we're glad to meet you too, young'uns!" Uncle C replied honestly, reaching forward to shake everyone's paw with surprising enthusiasm. "My wife and I may not be known as heroes, like yourselves, but we do craft world-class hats here, and I've been a master hatmaker for the past several years! No hamster head goes cold with us around!"

"Wait a minute, you sell hats?!" Cappy, not needing to hear any advertising so long as hats were involved, bounded up to stand at the front of the group, staring up at Uncle C with imploring, eager eyes, jumping up and down with excitement, tail twitching back and forth. "I wanna see your hats, of that's okay! Is it okay? Please let it be okay! Pleeeeeeease!?"

"Woah, woah!" Uncle C took a step back, chortling. "Eager little fella, aren't you? You remind me of a certain ham..."

Panda placed a paw on Cappy's shoulder to calm him down. "If it is okay with you, Uncle C, it wouldn't hurt for us to take a look around your shop for a little..." He craned his neck to look in the sleek, glossy window. "As a matter of fact, that carpenter hat on that shelf there looks pretty cool..." Pashmina, Dexter, Penelope, and Howdy nodded in agreement, though Oxnard still looked as if he'd rather locate the nearest snack-bar.

Skyla grinned, and a loud ding could be heard from inside the shop. "Sounds like my next batch of acorn cookies are ready...you ham-hams must try some while you're here" She hustled into the store, picking up the apron so she wouldn't trip.

"Wait are you hams waiting for?! Let's go!" Oxnard, at the mention of 'cookies,' bolted into the store after Skyla without waiting for the rest of the ham-hams, gone so fast he kicked up a dust cloud and made his friends cough.

After he let out another chuckle, Uncle C led the remainder of the group into the cozy little store, smiling proudly. "Feel free to look around at your leisure!" Uncle C told them, motioning forward with one paw, essentially giving them free-reign of his domain.

Eyes wide, the ham-hams gazed around at shelf upon shelf of hats, of every color of the rainbow and of every kind of design. Cappy was in seventh heaven; his little feet couldn't patter enough as he traveled from row to row, discarding his swim cap and trying on hat after hat. First he tried a beret, and next a pirate's hat...pretty soon, the rest of the ham-hams were involved, Pashmina admiring a pink feathered cap with delight, Panda modeling a carpenter's hat in the mirror, Dexter and Howdy fighting over a small red cap that matched both Howdy's apron and Dexter's bowtie, and Penelope jumping up and down in a bright yellow baseball cap. Cappy moved like a whirlwind, trying on every hat he could get his paws on. After helping Skyla in the kitchen, Oxnard found a grey visor with a spotted pattern, much like his fur, only a darker shade.

"Uncle C, this place is amazing!" Pashmina marveled, twirling around in the feathered cap. "I've never seen such stylish hats! This one matches my scarf perfectly!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"This is the best selection of hats _ever_!" Cappy bobbed his head with excitement, trying to fit three hats on his head all at once. "World-class! This is like ham-heaven for me!"

Uncle C sighed and placed a paw over his heart, smiling warmly. "Well, bless my soul!" He raised the other paw to wipe a tear from his glittering blue eyes. Intrigued by his sudden shift in moods, the ham-hams gathered around the shaggy-furred, older ham with concern, but soon realized his tears were joyful, not sad. "It's been a long time since any ham has appreciated my work like that!" He concluded, looking to all of the ham-hams with a look of gratitude. "Thank-Q. As a token of my appreciation, and to welcome you to Dreamland, you may each have a free hat from my collection."

"And, you're free to join C and I in the back room for some milk and cookies once you're finished shopping, dearies!" Skyla, equally as glad as her husband to have such friendly company, called from the kitchens.

Panda gasped. "Uncle C, you don't have to be so generous."

Cappy, however, didn't need telling twice. Instead, he began to fret over which hat to pick; how he wished he could have the entire store! Uncle C refused to let the other ham-hams reject his offer, and, excited, they all selected a hat to take home as a gift. Pashmina took her feathered one, Oxnard his visor, Dexter a red top-hat, Howdy a red straw-hat, Penelope her gold baseball cap, and Panda his carpenter's cap. After agonizingly poring over every selection, Cappy eventually selected a green, plaid newsboy cap, and, though it pained him to leave the other hats behind, he was pleased with his choice.

"Thank-Q, Uncle C!" The ham-hams cheered once they were seated around the large, family table set up in the room right across from where the hats were on display; Uncle C was seated so he could still see customers come in, if any decided to drop by.

"Don't mention it, ham-hams! It was an honor to have you in my shop!" The jovial older hamster winked once more, nibbling on one of his wife's cookies.

After one savory bite of the crunchy morsel, Oxnard grinned blissfully and remarked, "So good. My tastebuds are crying tears of joy right now!" While Pashmina took a dainty nibble, her expression lighting up as she said, "Delicious! I would love to have a copy of the recipe so I can make these at the Clubhouse sometime!"

Skyla winked. "Of course!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope crowed, ecstatic.

Oxnard began to shovel in the scrumptious morsels, breathing only in between huge mouthfuls, while Dexter ate his more carefully. "I agree wholeheartedly; this cookie is divine, Skyla!" He complimented. "A perfect end to our hat-shopping expedition, if I must say."

"Yeah, it really _tops _it off! Get it? _Tops_?" Howdy pointed to the top-hat perched on Dexter's head, and couldn't resist laughing at his own corny joke. "Har-har! I really crack myself up!"

Dexter was about to berate him for his sub-par humor, when, to everyone's surprise, Uncle C began to roar with laugher, rocking back on his wooden stool until he was almost falling off. Even Howdy seemed startled that someone else had found one of his jokes worth a chuckle, as all eyes turned, alarmed, to the mustached ham. Clutching his sides, Uncle C choked out between sniggers, "Well, I'll be a rat's uncle! That was a good one there, Howdy! _Tops_! Ahahaha!"

He continued to chortle, while Dexter shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it...someone actually thinks Howdy is _funny_. I certainly never thought I'd see the day!"

Howdy smirked smugly. "Told y'all I was funny."

Deviating from the topic of jokes, Pashmina nibbled on a cookie and glanced around the cozy sitting room. Seven pictures hung on the walls...one of Uncle C, one of Skyla, four of what seemed to be the same, shaggy-tan hamster, greatly resembling Watcher Cumulus, in different poses, and wearing different blue and white hats (one wore a hat with an 'N,' embroidered on it, as well as a matching satchel, the next an 'S,' then two 'C's') and the fifth of a tiny hamster, similar looking to the other four pictured, though he was smaller and his hat was green, more like a Santa-cap. Her eyes then flickered over to the counter, where several more plates of cookies lay.

"I don't know if all of us can eat so many cookies!" She commented, pointing to the mass of plates ready to be served. "They're delicious, but you baked so many!"

Skyla smiled wanly. She glanced up at a clock, and replied, voice glowing with pride over something the other ham-hams didn't know, "Well, we're actually expecting some more company right about - oh, it looks like they're coming now!"

As if on cue, the bell in the front of the store rang, signaling the arrival of more customers. Skyla and Uncle C did not move from their seats, however, but merely exchanged a knowing look that the rest of the ham-hams didn't understand. "Dad! Mom!" Four nearly identical voices hollered simultaneously, catching the ham-hams off guard. "We're home! And we smell mom's famous acorn cookies!"

"We're in the back room, boys!" Uncle C called back, and then he leaned over the table and told the ham-hams with sparkling blue eyes, "Time for you brave heroes to meet the pride and joy of our family! They may not be hat-makers like their old ham, but they sure do a good job makin' me proud!"

"Hamha!"

To the ham-hams surprise, four identical hamsters filed into the room, one after another, in perfect step. All four were male; tall, with shaggy tan fur and white stomachs, their whiskers twitching and cerulean eyes agleam. Pashmina was stunned; she had thought the pictures on the wall had been of the same hamster, but now it was clear that they were separate! One's attire was marked with an 'N,' one with an 'S' and two with 'C's' the only thing that differed between them. They recognized only one of them; Watcher Cumulus, the one who had guided them into Dreamland, and who now waved brightly at them each in turn.

"We see you have company!" The 'N' marked hamster remarked cheerfully, and then, a look of recognition passed over his face, joined by a brilliant smile. "Wait, you are the hamsters from Hamwall! I thought you looked familiar! I was the one who told Hamorette about you!"

The ham-hams were somewhat embarrassed. He was the Watcher Hamorette had spoken of...the one who had seen their triumph at Hamwall...

"We met earlier!" Cumulus winked. "But it's time for a proper introduction!"

"Boys, meet Pashmina, Panda, Howdy, Dexter, Cappy, Penelope, and Oxnard, the brave heroes Princess Hamorette sent for!" Skyla gestured to each ham as she spoke their name, before she then introduced her sons. "And ham-hams, I would like you to meet our sons, Nimbus, Stratus, Cirrus, and Cumulus. They're the Watchers of Dreamland! If you can't tell them apart, just look at the letters!"

"Pleased to meet you!" The four identical Watchers bowed in unison.

"Good to meet you too!" The ham-hams returned politely.

"We watch over Dreamland night and day, making sure the citizens are safe from harm. The four towers, at each corner of Dreamland, are our guideposts," Stratus explained, his tone matter-of-fact, not quite as inviting as the others. His cerulean eyes were chillier as well - a bit less welcoming. "We also scope out the outside world with our doves for informational purposes."

"But, every now and then we stop at home for a little snack!" Cumulus grinned, hiff-hiffing the cookies with a hungry glimmer in his eyes while tossing a wink to his mother.

"Glad to have you with us, brave heroes!" Nimbus cheered, and his three brothers nodded in agreement. "We know that Dreamland is in safe paws with you all here!"

The ham-hams exchanged small smiles and a few winks. They only hoped that they could live up to the expectations of the Dreamlanders, and deliver the victory against Steel that was so desperately needed.

The Watchers took four vacant chairs beside Uncle C, while Skyla busily piled cookies onto the plates in front of them. Still struck by the complete symmetry between the brothers, the ham-hams continued to stare, inciting Uncle C to remark, "I know they look exactly alike, but they're very different, like a lot of twins, triplets, or quadruplets are. So much so, we don't even need them to be wearing their hats to tell them apart anymore!"

Pashmina and the others, thinking of Sandy and Stan, realized the truth of that statement instantly.

"We _are_ really different!" Cirrus confirmed jovially, a hyper energy exuding from him as he bounced gently in his chair. "We have a little saying for it...uh...it goes...oh, how did it go again?" He looked like he was having trouble _remembering _said saying, his eyes clouded as he pounded his fists softly against his temples.

"Nimbus is the normal one," Nimbus chimed in, chewing on a tasty cookie.

"Stratus is always serious," Stratus continued, sounding almost bored, a gloomy sort of look in his eyes, distant and cold.

"Cirrus has a cluttered head!" The absent-minded Cirrus finally recalled with a brilliant smile.

"And Cumulus is chivalrous!" Cumulus finished with a wink. And, as the ham-hams at the table looked around, it was already getting easier to identify them, even if they couldn't read the letter on their hats and bags - their personalities were quite distinct, and each were welcoming in their own way.

"And Niko - oh, wait...never mind..." Cirrus had been about to continue on with the little chant, but stopped suddenly, and slumped down in his seat, excited bounce gone. As if they had been sharing thoughts, the other three brothers, as well as Uncle C and Skyla, seemed to deflate emotionally as well, and sink down lower on their stools.

The change in their demeanor visibly alarmed the ham-hams. "Is something wrong?" Panda asked, concerned. He and the other ham-hams exchanged a look. Where had the happiness in the room gone? It was as if a giant vacuum had come in, sucking out the joy and cheer.

A silence brewed for a moment, until Uncle C cleared his throat and, casting a wistful glance at the picture of the littlest hamster on the wall, replied, "Our....youngest son left home a few months ago. In pursuit of some...misguided dreams..." Tears welled up in Skyla's eyes, and the somber Stratus and comforting Cumulus put warm paws on her trembling shoulders, also upset.

"Misguided?" Cappy asked in a small voice. Everyone - Oxnard included - stopped eating their cookies.

Uncle C nodded soberly. "Yes. Our littlest son had a lot of pressure on him when he was born....four older brothers, all Watchers. It's a heavy burden for a little ham-ham to bear, trying to live up to a legacy like that. He was too little to make hats, and too little to be a Watcher...He tried so very hard to be like his brothers. Maybe...maybe I pushed him a little too far. Eventually, he listened to the wrong ham. Steel..." In a burst of rage, Uncle C pounded a fist on the table, his face twisted with sorrow and anger. "_Poisoned_ our little son's head with his ideas of power and strength. Our littlest _had _to listen...Steel promised him what he wanted, so he followed that horrible ham."

"We were so hard on him..." Nimbus admitted. "We thought we were just teasing, but he took it to heart."

"It's only natural he was driven away," Even stoic Stratus seemed a tad morose.

"We'd be the best big brothers _ever_, if only he'd come back!" Cirrus promised with conviction.

"Yeah! What they said!" Cumulus bobbed his head in agreement.

Suddenly, with pleading blue eyes, Skyla looked to each of the ham-hams and spoke as earnestly as her warm voice would allow. "We are so glad you ham-hams are here now, to rid the world of Steel's horrid nightmares. And if you don't mind, we have just one request for you. One wish, with all our hearts. Please...when you go to face Steel..."

Her tears spilled over. The last of her request came out in a choked sob, pulling on the hamstrings of the ham-hams, the rest of her grieving family emulating what she felt. Immediately, the ham-hams decided that no matter what the request was, they would fulfill it for this kind, loving family.

"Bring our little Nikolai back home!"

* * *

After his confusing confrontation with Bijou, Hamtaro had decided to go and adventure around Dreamland alone. He had looked so forward to his excursion...but that was before he had somehow made Bijou cry. Now, his head was clouded with confusion, and, whenever he tried to think of the fun he wanted to have, the image of Bijou's silently streaming tears filled his mind. As he walked, shoulders slumped and ears drooping, through the streets, the glittering blue pavement seemed lackluster, the sky had somehow dulled, and the vibrant colors of the shops, cafes, gardens, and homes lost their shine.

"Oh, cats....so much for my dream vacation! We have an evil hamster to fight, the princess is upset, Screech left the castle, and Bijou's mad at me for some reason!" Hopeless, the orange and cream-furred hamster cast his solemn brown eyes to the sky, throwing his paws up in the air, as if the signal that he had given up. Normally, he was one to look on the positive side. If he couldn't see the brightness in this situation, then there likely wasn't any.

"And I can deal with most of that..." He clenched his eyes shut. "But I really wish I knew what I did to make Bijou so upset..."

After a moment of wallowing, he started to plod along again, not even noticing that the streets were growing sparser as he trod. Soon, there were no other hams around; the hustle and bustle faded away to nothing but a distant hum, leaving an eery silence in it's wake. Not even aware of his surroundings, Hamtaro nearly tripped on a golden step - the first of many, on a lavish staircase, leading up to one of the most impressive buildings Hamtaro had ever seen.

It was dome-shaped, reminding Hamtaro of the moon-decorated and sun-decorated buildings he had seen one the descent into Dreamland, but this one was more extravagant than the other two combined; they hadn't seen it from the balloon basket or the Guardian's back because it was hidden behind the castle, lurking almost completely in shadow. Fit for a king, it had been painted richly, in blues of all hues - detailed in gold and silver, one half of the dome with a large moon painted on one side, the other with a blazing sun. As the actual sun radiated off of it, the brightness of the dome almost blinded Hamtaro, and the steps began to gleam like bricks from heaven.

"Ahhh..." Hamtaro admired, his woes vanishing for a second, a wide smile stretching across his face. "It's so shiny!"

As if compelled by a force within him, Hamtaro began to venture up the steps. He didn't mind that he was alone, or that no other hamsters dared come close to this building. He could feel a presence at this place...something beckoning him beyond the dark doorway he could see drawing nearer. There was something here, calling him in a small, almost inaudible voice, only heard within the murky depths of his own thundering heart.

Hamtaro stopped once he reached the doorway. Ears pricking forward, he poked his head in the door, then sniffed. There was dust in there, but he couldn't smell anything else. So why were his senses going haywire? And what was this feeling, gnawing at him like a forgotten itch...why did he feel like he had gone through this before?

Never one to deny an investigation, Hamtaro walked slowly into the building, the cool marble floor chilling his feet. As soon as he entered, the lights turned on - blinding him momentarily, before his surprised brown eyes adjusted. Now, the room was bathed in soft golden light, and Hamtaro found himself amongst heroes.

In awe, the orange-furred hamster stood in the center of the chamber, turning slowly to absorb the wonder of the room. Depicted in brilliant paintings, all across the rounded walls and ceiling, were hamsters. He saw several of them dressed in armor, flying on the backs of valiant, pure white doves. Others held what looked to be a replica of the Staff of Dreams, and what must have been the Staff of Nightmares, in their clenched paws. Stars and moons also decorated the smooth surface. Everywhere Hamtaro turned, there were faces of defiance, bravery, courage, and unmatched resolve. These were the faces of Dreamland's finest, enshrined forever in memory. And, all around the room, there were also statues of pure gold, all of them of crowned hamsters. At the very back, the tallest statue had been erected, as if the hamster it represented had some kind of authority over the others.

Drawn by the mystique surrounding this dusty, seemingly ancient statue, Hamtaro stepped forward to examine it further. It looked to be of a king - and, as Hamtaro looked to the statue's feet, he saw a plaque had been placed there, with the wispy words _King Hamenon, first King of Dreamland. _Hamtaro noticed that his bearded face was solemn, and his paws were outstretched, as if he had been holding something. In the presence of this statue, Hamtaro felt as if he were gazing upon greatness, and yet, felt like _he_ belonged here. But something was missing still...something that made this magical place seem like a tomb, rather than a place to honor the past. Those paws looked so...empty.

"I see you found the Chamber of Peaceful Rest."

Joy's voice echoed in the chamber, startling Hamtaro, and he whirled to see her standing in the entranceway. The goldenrod-furred Protector of Slumber ambled in, glancing swiftly at the paintings and statues - but she had seen them all before. "Is that was this place is?" Hamtaro asked her quietly, looking around some more in wonderment.

Joy nodded. "It's where the memories of past heroes are engraved and kept for posterity. Each statue represents a king or queen of Dreamland, and each painting a hero from the past. But this chamber has one main function..." She pointed the tip of her Staff of Dreams toward the empty, outstretched paws of King Hamenon. "...and that is to house the Stone of Slumber. At least...it was."

The pieces fell into place in Hamtaro's head, slowly, one by one. Casting his chocolate eyes to the floor, he remarked, "So this is where Steel came to steal it then, right? This is where he took his power...." his blood began to boil slightly with dislike for this iron-furred villain. They had yet to meet across a battlefield, and Hamtaro was already raring to save the world again.

Joy nodded. Neither of them smiled, and the air was thick with silence.

Hamtaro looked around at the depictions of heroism, spread all across the chamber. He soaked in the feeling of wonder, the astoundment, with a heavy sigh. All of these heroes...had they known that they would one day be remembered, here in this sacred place? And what about the fallen heroes that no one ever knew? They did not have a place on these walls, but Hamtaro could feel their influence, encircling him like a warm cloud. What had driven them to want this place, their own mark in history? And, if they were forgotten, what had made them try to prove themselves? They all had their reasons...what were his for even stepping paw in here?

Joy glanced at Hamtaro briefly, intrigued by the stern, but rapt expression on his face. She had never seen anyham look quite so determined before, just by standing in this old, dusty chamber that typical Dreamlanders tended to avoid because of the creepy, mysterious air that came from it. Not even the bravest knights of Dreamland wore such an expression on their faces, one that made heroism shine and spark from every strand of fur.

"I didn't think anyone would be up here."

Hamtaro wasn't startled this time around, but Joy jumped at the sound of Screech's voice. The ex-knight wandered in, also not as deeply affected by the scriptures or carvings as Hamtaro currently was. "Screech!" Joy exclaimed, rushing over to him, both worried and a little bit angry. "Where have you been? You don't really mean to _quit_, do you? You can't give up being a Dreamland Knight! You..."

She trailed off, seeing that his attention was elsewhere, so she too diverted her gaze. Peering keenly at the focused Hamtaro, Screech approached slowly, bemused by the fire burning in the orange-furred ham's eyes. It was a fire the likes of which he had never seen, not even in his _own_ eyes. He had come to this place to find peace of mind, but, seeing the look Hamtaro wore, Screech realized that there would be more to the visit...much more.

"Hamtaro? Are you alright?" He had never seen a soul so affected by the power of this chamber before. Even he found it a little too cold and dusty to linger in for very long.

The ham-ham didn't respond. As the glory of the chamber washed over him, all sound seemed to die, and, for a moment, he closed his eyes. He could picture the ham-hams...each one of them, clear as day, waving cheerfully at him. And then, they were wiped away by a burst of flame, and in their place stood the vicious were-ham from the dream, Steel perched haughtily on it's back with his gleaming scepter. That deep, piercing laugh resonated in Hamtaro's ears, and, he could suddenly hear cries for help. Within the din, he recognized his friend's voices, helpless and scared, calling his name. And one clear, beautiful voice, louder than the rest, so very near and dear to his heart, pleading for him to save her from Steel's terrible clutches...

The very same feeling he had felt before the climactic battle against Spyke at Hamwall began to circulate throughout Hamtaro's body. He came out of his near-trance like state, and cast his burning brown eyes to a startled Screech, who had never seen such a look in a hamster's eyes before. The closest he had seen...were on the paintings decorating the walls, of those numerous heroes too courageous to describe. Hamtaro's naivete had faded for the time being, replaced with an unwavering dedication, unmatched and powerful.

"Screech..."Hamtaro began in a soft, but firm voice, only a trace of his usual, happy-go-lucky demeanor remaining. "What is it you fight for?" He sounded like he was seeking some kind of confirmation.

Taken aback, Screech hesitated. After a moment of pondering, he replied honestly, "Well...I fight for what's important to me. Dreamland, Fury....why do you ask?"

Hamtaro was silent for a moment, before he stared directly into the glossy, dust-kissed eyes of King Hamenon and responded, in a voice full of wisdom from deep within the crevices of his soul, "Because heroes aren't born heroes. They have to have a reason to fight...a reason for why they put themselves at risk..." He lowered his gaze, staring instead at the marble ground, both Screech and Joy entranced by his wise, compelling words.

"..I wasn't so sure about fighting Steel until just now. Because before, I didn't really understand why I had to fight; I guessed that I just had to. The princess asked us to, so we would. But...there was never a _why_. I hadn't seen a reason for it yet..." Finally glancing up at Steel with fiery brown orbs, Hamtaro finished. "My friends, the ham-hams, are the most important thing in the entire world. And if fighting Steel will help them...all of them...and make the hamster-world safe again..." Despite his words, a single voice, clear and loud, filled his ears, making his heart thunder.

"..._Then_ I have to do it. _For_ them."

His words, though soft-spoken, resonated in the chamber. Joy and Screech exchanged a wide-eyed glance. Both had heard countless hamsters, valiant and heroic, pledging to fight with honor, only to have their vows fall on deafened ears. All of those speeches, of supposed heroism and vigilance, were exactly the same; hollow and without any purpose other than self-glory. Not even Screech could deny the selfishness of his own intentions. But Hamtaro's words had a different effect; they were so deeply genuine and sincere it gave both of the Dreamlanders chills, and each had the excited feeling that this one brave hero in particular was going to do them a world of good in the pending battle with Steel. This new hero was different from all the others, in a way that mattered most, and it was both baffling, and awe-inspiring. Like every hero painted on the walls had combined their wisdom, and made Hamtaro their living, breathing mouthpiece...

This Hamtaro...was something special. And the battle to come would show them exactly how special he would turn out to be.

The silence that had settled over the chamber was unsettling, and made the fur on Screech and Joy's necks stand at attention. To break the tension, Joy announced, stuttering a little as she struggled to overcome how overwhelmed she had been by Hamtaro's conviction, "Well, Hamtaro, I have some good news for you. The princess has informed me that she's going to hold a banquet to honor you and your brave friends, tonight, in the courtyard!"

As if he had merely removed a more-serious mask, Hamtaro's face lit up brightly, overjoyed. "A banquet? That's a big party, right?" As Joy nodded, he clapped his paws together. "All right! That sounds hamtast! Are there gonna be games and stuff?"

"Uh..." Joy wasn't so sure about that.

"Do the other ham-hams know?" He asked Joy eagerly, tail twitching back and forth.

Screech and Joy exchanged another look. Hamtaro had been so solemnly resolute only moments before...but now he seemed to have morphed right back into the old, chipper Hamtaro, complete with naivete and warm, innocent brown eyes. Where had his impressive, almost chilling inner-hero gone? It was like he had two personalities, split on extreme lines, so black and white...or, in his case, orange and white.

"I haven't had a chance to tell them yet, no..."

Hamtaro jumped up, pumping a fist. "Hamtaro's on the job, then! Don't worry Joy, this job is in very capable paws!" He winked at the Protector of Slumber, beaming. "I'll let all the ham-hams know about the banquet! Bye-Q!"

Waving a paw at both a startled Screech and bewildered Joy, the orange-furred ham-ham sprinted across the marble floor of the chamber and out into the sunlight, barreling down the stairs faster than what was likely safe. Soon, he was gone from sight, but a motionless Screech and Joy could still hear him, singing a song he had made up on the spot that went a little something like, "Going to a banquet, yeah! Gonna play some games, yeah! Gotta tell the ham-hams, hip-hip-Hamha!" And then it repeated, until, at last, his piercingly cheerful voice also faded away.

What a transformation..." Joy murmured, looking to Screech with a look of awe in her amber eyes once the only trace of Hamtaro left was his lingering presence in the air, mingling with the dust. "That Hamtaro truly is a one-of-a-breed ham-ham! That heroic gleam in his eye...it practically made my fur stand on end!"

Screech nodded somberly. Seeing how dedicated Hamtaro was to his friends, those friendly ham-hams who had sacrificed so much to come and help them, had truly touched him, and inspired him. Perhaps, after his talk with Hamorette, he had flown of the handle a little too severely. Perhaps, if he had been a little bit more like this hero-persona of Hamtaro's, he wouldn't be in this mess...but it was never to late to start amending things. It was never too late to seek forgiveness, as a true hero would. And Screech, recalling the somber dedication of Hamtaro's expression, realized he had a long way to go on the road to heroism. Screech's journey would begin with an apology, whereas Hamtaro's had already begun.

Maybe Hamtaro would turn out to be the real-deal hero that Dreamland so desperately needed, in these bleak times...

"Joy, you're right. I can't quit being a Dreamland Knight now. It's not what Fury would want, and not what a true hero would do, in these times of need," Determined now to earn a fire like Hamtaro's in his eyes, Screech marched out the door of the chamber. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a princess to say oopsie to..."

Joy grinned, and was about to turn and leave herself, but found herself staring wide-eyed into the dusted expression of the King Hamenon statue. She saw nothing there but faded gold and empty, dulled eyes, but, recalling Hamtaro's fierce dedication, the fur on her neck stood straight up. He had seen something more beyond that hollow stare. "Whatever you did for that ham..." She whispered lowly to the statue, smiling faintly.

"...Thank-Q."

Humming his new tune, Hamtaro traipsed down the clouded boulevards of Dreamland with a purposeful stride. Though his demeanor had returned to it's normal state, his heart had undergone some changes; he could feel new things stirring about, new fires being stoked in the confines of his soul. A new desire, mingling with his old, more naive wishes. How would this change - this transformation of his heart - affect him in the days to come? Especially when they faced Steel and his ghoulish nightmares...the change made him feel warmer inside. And he was eager to explore these changes.

"_But first, I gotta find the ham-hams! And then, I should apologize to Bijou!_"

* * *

**CFB:** Hamtaro's revved up to be heroic again! We'll have to see how that plays out in later chapters...

**Next time:** Hamtaro goes in search of his friends to tell them about the banquet! Plus, Sandy tries to have fun in Dreamland with Maxwell...but will he be more interested in learning than sightseeing? Plus, Laura runs into some unexpected company. (Steel makes his comeback in Chapter 10....in _style_! And yes, by _style_ I mean he's going to do something evil.)


	10. Rain on My Parade

**CFB:** Sorry I'm a little late; school is hectic and I wanted to rough draft a few more chapters before I posted this. Here's a new chapter for you, loyal readers! Each chapter, like a new adventure...*_is hit in the head with a book*_

**Thanks:** I haven't had time to send out replies, so thank you **sandyandmaxwellfanatic** and **Michaia**, for being awesome, as usual! This update's for both of you, for sticking with this story!

**This time:** Sandy wants to sightsee, but what does Maxwell have in mind, and how does our favorite tiger-striped gymnast feel about _that_? Hamtaro goes off in search of the others to inform them about the banquet! Plus, depressed, Laura makes an ice-cream stop and finds some interesting company waiting there. And, Hamtaro's heroism has inspired Screech to apologize to Hamorette. More than one nose will be harmed, I assure you...Bear with me this next chapter and a half! The action is on it's way! (I'm editing it as we speak...)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

* * *

**Chapter 9: **_Rain on my Parade_

To Sandy, Dreamland was the perfect place to stroll along the glittering streets, paw-in-paw with her favorite hamboy in all the world, Maxwell. She had never been quite as interested in girly things as Bijou and Pashmina, her hamigos, but even she desired some romantic alone time with Maxwell every now and then. So this extravagant vacation was perfect, in her eyes, for some rest and relaxation before their showdown with Steel.

To Maxwell, Dreamland was an endless stream of possibilities. Ever since they had arrived, his eyes had roved over the buildings and the streets, wondering what inner-workings lay below them, keeping them adrift among the clouds. The ancient technology was astonishing, even if it was somehow aided by the magical Stone of Slumber. Maxwell, ever-hungry for more knowledge, was eager to learn more about this thriving civilization.

Naturally, their opposing viewpoints would bring about a clash of interests. How severe of a clash remained to be seen, as Sandy finally caught up with her bookworm boyham, who was trying to locate a control center of some kind, completely ignoring the other wonders surrounding him as he stood on the walkway just outside the castle. All that mattered to him was learning about Dreamland, rather than looking around at all the sights.

"Isn't Dreamland amazing, Maxwell?" Sandy asked with a bright smile as she sidled up to him.

"Mmhm..." Maxwell agreed with a small smile, not exactly in the mood for chatter. "But it's so big...I just wish I knew where to find out how this place works. Learning about Dreamland's history would be a real treat, and so would knowing more about how those unusual Staffs function! I wonder if they have a library...?"

Maxwell darted across the street to ask a kind looking female ham if she knew where he might find a library, leaving Sandy in the dust. Put-off, the gymnast frowned. "Like, Dreamland is such a romantic place..." She murmured under her breath, both disappointed that he didn't seem to care about anything but books, and determined to try and enjoy her time with Maxwell no matter what she had to do. "I'm sure Maxwell wants to spend some time with me, too. Like, we'll go check out the library now, and do some sightseeing in a little while."

Pleased with the compromise she had invented, Sandy pattered across the pavement to catch up with Maxwell. "_Totally cool_!" she thought to herself, convinced that, once he had scoured over enough books, Maxwell would be more than willing to do what she wanted to. He could be downright chivalrous sometimes...

"Thank-Q!" Just as Sandy ran up, Maxwell had finished speaking with the local hamgirl and was trekking down the street again, in pursuit of books and learning, without so much as looking over his shoulder to see if Sandy was following him.

Huffing, Sandy caught his elbow and panted, a bit irked, "Slow up for a minute, Max! Like, I know you're excited to go look at those books, but can you just wait up a second? You keep leaving without me!" She kept her tone light and joking, thought it bugged her a little that he had only vaguely noticed her presence.

At that, Maxwell stopped walking, eyes wide, regarding her with a look similar to awe and disbelief. "_Heke_?" He asked, tilting his head to one side. "But Sandy...I didn't think you'd _want _to come. I mean..." He trailed off, still surprised, before continuing with a note of incredulity in his voice, but a smile on his face, "Did you _really _want to come to the library with me?"

Sandy nodded cheerfully, still beaming. Really, the only reason she ever went to libraries or bookstores with Maxwell was that she wanted to spend more time with him...not because she was simply _dying _to read. And, over time, she had grown to like the more intellectual activities to a higher degree - she could pick out a nice sports book, or a colorful fantasy story, while Maxwell spent his time reading big, dusty reference books with words she didn't understand. So long as they sat at the same little table, their different stacks of books side by side, Sandy didn't really mind, even if her tail got numb after sitting for hours on end, in the pure, content silence.

Maxwell seemed a little puzzled, but pleased nonetheless. "I figured you'd want to go sightseeing with the other hams," He told her, as they started walking, side by side, down the bright blue streets.

Sandy shrugged. "There's like, time for that stuff later." "_Now, it's just time for Maxy and me!" _

Maxwell didn't push the conversation further, and Sandy was content to just walk together down the street with him, even in silence. Nonchalantly, she took hold of his paw, and he didn't complain - though his cheeks turned slightly pink, and Sandy blushed in return. This was hamtast. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a quaint little cafe, with bright yellow curtains in the windows and the scent of strawberries wafting out of a tiny brick chimney. The door was decorated with hearts, and Sandy could see a few happy looking couples enjoying themselves at tables both inside and outside. She made a mental note of it's location; once they were through in the library, she and Maxwell could come here for a snack, and they could passchat in peace.

The library was immense; easily the largest building in Dreamland, minus the castle. It was crafted from stone, varying in colors, ranging from pale yellow, to pastel purple, to soft pink. The huge oak doors were open, welcoming all visitors, young and old. Maxwell was so excited as they climbed the stone stairs, he gripped Sandy's paw even tighter and began to breathe oddly, almost hyperventilating, and she thought he was going to faint from the overwhelming excitement. "Easy, Max..." She joked once she saw his awestruck expression, giving his paw a reassuring squeeze. "Your eyes are like, almost bugging out of your head!"

Maxwell shook his head, regaining some of his composure. "I can't help it! This has to be the largest library I've ever _seen_! Think of the volumes they must have stored here...pages and pages of a history no earthly ham has ever seen!" His grey eyes glowed. "So much reading to do, so little time! Oh, I wonder if they'll let me take an extra copy of a book or two, for my collection! I'll be the envy of book collectors all over the hamster world!"

Letting Sandy's paw drop, Maxwell raced eagerly inside. Sandy was impressed by how fast he ran; normally, when it came to running, the bookish Maxwell was toward the bottom in skill level. However, the paw he had dropped felt unnaturally cold now, and something in her chest gave a small, painful twist. He had left her side so quickly, leaving her alone here....

"Like, Maxwell! Wait up!"

Determined to enjoy their time together in Dreamland, even if it meant she had to spend a chunk of time in a stuffy library, Sandy bolted in after him, but he was already gone from sight. She was greeted by a smartly dressed, elderly ham whom she ventured was the librarian, and he told her that Maxwell (or 'that sharp-looking speed-demon' as the librarian called him) had headed straight for the history section. After thanking him, Sandy wandered into the shelves to try and locate said section. Even she had to admit, the floor-to-ceiling shelves, stacked with thousands of books of all colors and genres, was an amazing sight to behold. And, naturally, she found Maxwell toward the back of the library a few minutes later, his nose already in a large, fraying book, a tall, tilted stack of books on the table in front of him, almost shielding him from view as he hunched over the pages, eyes flitting to and fro.

"He works fast..." Sandy murmured under her breath, as she padded across the marble floor and took the vacant seat next to him. She was silent for a moment, watching him read, and smiling at a few other hamsters who drifted past. Occasionally, Maxwell would mutter something like, "Astonishing!" or "Using doves makes perfect sense..." as he rapidly turned the pages of his book, in his own little personal heaven. Each book was like a new world, waiting to be explored by his knowledge-yearning eyes.

The silence of the library was eery to Sandy, even though Maxwell found it comfortable and cozy. Realizing that Maxwell was too absorbed to chat with her, Sandy picked up a book from the pile before her and began to gingerly turn the pages. She would have gone off to find the sports section, but feared that she would get lost among the endless rows of books.

The book she had selected held her interest for several minutes, to her surprise. She had found an entire chapter dedicated to the sports and competitions of Dreamland, and learned about the dove-races they held annually, the sword fights between knights, and the old competitions that would have earned one brave Dreamlander the title of Grand Hero. She was so engrossed, she didn't even notice the time passing so fast, but she did notice that her book also alluded to free dove-rides; while also used for races, ham-hams were invited to take the infamous Dreamland doves on leisurely, fun rides around the clouds. If that wasn't the perfect activity for her and Maxwell to do together, she didn't know what was!

Finally looking up, Sandy was startled to see that Maxwell had already sifted through half of his books, and had sorted them by interest level. She rolled her eyes in a good-natured fashion. That was Maxwell....ever the over-achiever. Yawning slightly, she turned her eyes to the clock on the wall, and realized with a start that they had been reading here for an entire hour! Fading sunlight was already filtering in through the tall windows, meaning that the day was slowly ending; street lamps were already being lit by young Dreamland hamsters with long torches. If they didn't leave the library soon, they wouldn't have enough time to do anything else before nightfall! And who knew how much time they'd have after that, since Maxwell had agreed to help with the planning of the attack on Steel....

"Well, that was like, a real good book!" Sandy commented, plopping her book, still open to the page about the free dove-rides, back up on the table. Maxwell didn't appear to hear her, though, after a pause, he muttered, "Hm," as if that were a sufficient response.

Sandy looked toward the window again. "It's like, getting a bit late, don'tcha think, Maxy?"

He didn't look up, choosing to keep his nose buried in another large volume with small print. No response came; he was far too engrossed in what he was reading. Choosing to chuckle with amusement rather than grow blash-T with him for ignoring her, Sandy waved a paw in front of Maxwell's keen eyes, and he sat bolt upright, taken aback. "Like, you were a little bit too absorbed there, Maxy!" Sandy remarked.

Maxwell smiled faintly, returning to the text. "I don't think there's such a thing as getting too involved in a book. This one here is simply astounding! Did you know that Dreamland was founded by three prophets who used magic to raise a small island into the air? Dreamland was originally on _water_! And, the Staff of Dreams and the Staff of Nightmares were created countless years ago to tame the sleep of hamsters! I mean, all of this may be legends and myths - practically conjecture - but it's all so _interesting_!"

Sandy beamed at him. "Sure sounds cool, Maxy...but don't you think it's about time we head out of here? I want to get some sightseeing in before it gets like, too dark to enjoy all the radical scenery! You can borrow a couple of books to read later, right?"

Maxwell looked up again, not startled this time. "Hm..." He tapped his chin with thought, Sandy waiting eagerly for his response, so sure that they were ready to go walking off into the beautiful sunset, paw in paw, to enjoy Dreamland together...

"I think I'm going to just stay here. There are still so many books to read!"

Time seemed to freeze for Sandy. Stunned, she remained upright in her chair, but it took a full effort not to topple over onto the ground. She had been so sure Maxwell would be willing to leave his books for just a couple of hours...they were in Dreamland, after all! Books could take the backseat just this once, couldn't they? Didn't Maxwell want to spend _any_ time with her while they were here, during this once in a lifetime adventure?

"B-but Maxy..." Sandy stammered, her voice soft and low. "Don't you...like...want to look around Dreamland with me? Like, it's going to be so cool...I kinda thought we could..." Reverting back to shyness, and sure Maxwell hadn't caught the hint the first time she had suggested it, Sandy fiddled absently with her paws. "You know, like....go _together_?" She placed extra emphasis on that last word.

Maxwell pondered that thought briefly, but merely shook his head. "No, I'd rather stay here for a little while longer," He chuckled, not noticing the pained expression now crossing Sandy's face, or the disappointment glowing strong in her eyes. "Gosh, there's so many books here that I want to look at, I think I'll be here for the rest of our time in Dreamland! When I'm not helping the knights plan, anyway. I'm learning things no other hamster on earth has ever known! What could be better than that?"

Sandy was crushed, her spirits drooping lower than her stooped shoulders. His words stung her like physical blows, and she could feel tears already forming in the corners of her eyes. Still invested wholly into his book, Maxwell failed to notice Sandy as she stepped down off the chair and turned to face him. Her eyes burned with dejection. If Maxwell thought this was just some big joke, she didn't find it very _hardihar_.

"Well, like, I'm gonna go then, okay?" Sandy's voice broke a little in the middle, but nothing could tear Maxwell from his quest for knowledge.

Not even looking up from his page, Maxwell picked up a book from his 'already read' stack and tossed it to Sandy, who caught it, confused. "Since you're on your way out, could you put that book back where it belongs? Thank-Q..." He didn't even wait for her to respond, and she stared at the book, openmouthed with shock, while he continued to rapidly scan the text before him with zealous eyes; eyes that only cared for the knowledge they craved, and nothing more.

That was the last straw for Sandy. Her tears of rejection swiftly turned to tears of anger, and puffing out her chest, she reared back and let Maxwell have a piece of her mind, unable to control the fury boiling deep inside of her,

"You are like, the most insensitive hamdude _ever_, Maxwell!" She hollered at him, her voice echoing thunderously in the quiet of the library, and, at last, his head snapped up and he focused his attention on the enraged tiger-striped ham, bewildered by her sudden outburst.

"Sandy, what's wrong?" He asked, horrified by the furious gleam in her eye, adding in a low whisper, looking around nervously, "You have to keep your voice down, this is a _library_..."

"I don't care, Maxwell!" Sandy continued on her tirade, tears now coursing down her cheeks, making Maxwell even more baffled. "All I wanted to like, do here was spend some time with you, but I can see that your books are like, more important to you than I am, and you can't even like, take an hour or two to spend some time with me for a change! So here's your dumb book back! Have fun!"

Her rage climaxing, she wound up and threw the book in her paws at Maxwell, full-force, with perfect precision. The book flew so fast Maxwell had no time to duck, and it struck him square in the face, knocking the wind from him. His chair toppled over with a clatter, and Maxwell lay sprawled on the floor, a small trickle of blood spurting from his nose, where the book had hit him with all it's might. Sandy wasn't prone to violence, but she had really had enough this time; her anger and sadness combined to make torturous turmoil in her breaking heart.

Groggily, Maxwell sat up with a hurt groan, just as Sandy stormed off, disappearing from sight as she rounded a bookshelf. Maxwell extended a shaking paw toward the direction she had went, calling weakly, "Sandy, wait...! Why....?" but he collapsed back onto the floor with an injured sigh, the throbbing in his nose overwhelming, and he fell into a dazed stupor, not quite sure what had just happened.

Half-blinded by her tears, Sandy marched through the aisles of books until she reached the exit. The librarian, who had overheard the ruckus, was about to chastize her on the importance of being quiet in a library, but, one look at Sandy's murderous expression as she passed him was enough to send him skittering back behind his desk, where he busied himself with some paperwork, paws shaking.

"_Like, how could Maxy be so cruel?_"

As she stomped back out into the fading day, Sandy continued to fume, though her heart had broken bitterly in two; half-angry, half-depressed. She and Maxwell had gone through arguments like this before, and always worked things out, but now, under these circumstances, Sandy felt like she had endured enough; this really was her breaking point. How could Maxwell be so heartless...or, had he become so interested in learning and knowledge that he had completely lost his interest in spending time with her? That possibility tore at her heart, and she wiped away the tears streaming from her eyes with furious paws.

"_I'm learning things no other hamster on earth has ever known! What could be better than that?"_

As Maxwell's words circled in her mind, she shook her head, desperate to rid herself of them, and she quickened her pace, eager to get as far away from the library as possible. In her haste, just as she stepped down from the last of the stairs, she bumped right into another hamster, who gave a familiar sounding, startled, "_Oof_!"

Sandy blinked away a few of her tears, coming face to face with a worried looking Hamtaro. "Hamha, Sandy!" He greeted cheerfully, though his brown eyes were concerned. "What's wrong? Why so..._bluhoo_?"

Sandy offered him a watery smile, though she wasn't quite in the mood for dumping all of her troubles on Hamtaro, who would probably offer her a consoling shoulder anyway, even if he didn't always understand the concept of being in smoochie and the tribulations it could bring. "Don't worry about it Hamtaro..." Sandy murmured, and, seeking a change in subject, asked him, trying to sound a little happier, "Are you like, out here by yourself? I would have thought, like, you'd go sightseeing with the rest of the ham-hams."

She bit her tongue. Maxwell had said something similar to her earlier...

Hamtaro shook his head. "Nope! Joy sent me out to deliver an important message to all of the ham-hams!" He explained. "I've been looking all over for everyone! I ran into Siren outside the castle, so she's going to help me look, and now I found you too!" Hamtaro clapped his paws together, as if Sandy had just won some glorious prize. "And the message is..." He paused for dramatic effect, before announcing, throwing his arms out wide, "Princess Hamorette is throwing a banquet for us tonight at the castle! Isn't that _greatchu_?"

Sandy couldn't help but smile faintly at his enthusiasm, but her sadness and anger over her confrontation with Maxwell was nearly all-consuming. "Yeah...totally _bestest_, Hamtaro..." Somehow, she couldn't manage to be convincing, but it fooled Hamtaro for the time being. He was too wrapped up in his mission to be completely observant, so her mildly furious expression and teary eyes went way over his head.

Hamtaro looked around curiously, and, figuring that Sandy would know, asked, "Hey, do you know where Maxwell is? I haven't found him yet."

Blood boiling, Sandy pointed a defiant paw toward the library doors. "He's like, in there!" She huffed, narrowing her eyes, before deciding she had lost interest in sightseeing and wanted nothing more than to curl up in her room with a nice, fluffy pillow and a few scrumptious sunflower seeds. "Good luck getting him to like, listen to you while his nose is crammed in his lovedove _books_!"

With that bitter remark, Sandy was gone down the street, and Hamtaro stared after her, puzzled by her actions. After a moment, he gave a small shrug and pattered up the steps of the library, meandering in while humming a chipper tune under his breath. "_Sandy sure looked blash-T about something..._" He thought to himself, as he wandered through the massive shelves of books, until he finally caught sight of Maxwell, laying sprawled on the ground exactly where Sandy had left him, groaning in pain.

Thinking Maxwell had merely taken a minor tumble, Hamtaro chuckled lightly and scampered up beside his bookish friend.

"Hamha, Maxwell! Sandy said I would find you - _Wow_, your nose is the size of an _acorn_! What in heke happened to _you_?"

* * *

After her uncomfortable, tense conversation with Roberto, and with her friendship woes still whirling around in a tizzy in her heart, Laura was in need of some major comfort.

And only one thing came to mind when she thought of comfort...._ice cream. _

Kana was busy with chores and homework, so she made the trip alone into town, leaving a note for her parents in case they came home early. Her dad would be out late at a business meeting, and her mom had a late flower-arranging class, so Laura had already eaten an early dinner alone after Roberto had left and was eager to drown her sorrows in a huge bowl of rocky road at the local ice cream parlor.

"After everything that's happened the past couple of days, I think I need a break..." She murmured as she neared _Super Scooper Sundaes_, enjoying the gentle breeze as it caressed her hair, the sunset hauntingly beautiful over the buildings in the distance. "No holding back...I'm talking _triple scoop_!"

She could see the glowing neon ice cream cone just a few meters away now, calling to her. It wasn't very busy at the parlor, she could tell...there were only a few people in line. Her frozen heaven awaited, where she could forget her troubles with just a spoon and a savory, flavorful treat! But, of course, just when she thought she was about to enter a sweet escape, she found herself smack dab in the middle of reality once again.

"Laura! Hey, over here!"

Laura's brown eyes flitted to a table just outside the parlor, where two girls were sitting, already enjoying their ice cream. Her stomach twisted into knots; Gina was waving her hand in a friendly manner toward Laura, beckoning for her to come and join their table. Next to her, placid and calm, sat a shyly smiling Mika, whom Laura hadn't had a proper conversation with since all of the issues between her friends had popped up. She just couldn't picture tentative Mika the way June now did...she didn't look like some vicious heartbreaker, intent on destroying lives.

"Just when I think I'm going to get some time to myself..." Laura sighed, but headed over toward their table with a smile on her face, determined to still enjoy this time, even if she was no longer alone to delve into her personal thoughts."_Besides, maybe now I can get some of the 'other side of the story' Roberto was talking about..._"

"Hi guys!" Laura greeted them as happily as she could muster. Mika waved meekly back, unable to meet Laura's eye.

"Have a seat, Laura!" Gina offered cordially, motioning to the vacant seat across from her. Graciously, Laura took it, setting the bag with her phone and wallet on the ground beneath her feet. A jumpy looking waiter came out of the restaurant and took Laura's order, before hurrying back inside, leaving the girls to have their own conversation in private, which, Laura realized later, would have been inevitable regardless, because certain things just needed to be cleared up between them.

"How are you, Laura?" Gina asked politely, idly stirring some of her strawberry smoothie with a plastic spoon. "Enjoying school so far?"

Laura shrugged, recalling the math test she thought she had bombed - among other things. She chose to keep the topic of conversation light at first, even though she knew she needed answers, and now, with Mika and Gina alone here, without Reese, Travis, Josh, June, or anyone else, was the perfect time to finally get them. "I had a really hard Algebra pop quiz today, and I'm pretty sure I failed. I didn't remember anything at all!"

"It was pretty difficult..." Mika agreed, her voice feathery, as if she was scared to speak. Her smile was small, almost intimidated. "I hope I scraped a C out of it..." She looked concerned for a moment. "Did you find your hamster?"

Laura's heart gave a pained twinge. "Not yet." But she would. She would find Hamtaro no matter what!

Gina's keen green eyes flitted between the shy Mika and a struggling-to-remain-normal Laura, and she could feel the tension there, the burning questions waiting to be asked. Coolness overtaking her demeanor, Gina folded her arms over her chest, leaned back in the chair, and spoke up in her no-nonsense, yet airy voice, as if trying to sound casual and businesslike all at once, "I have a feeling there are more important things to be discussed here, don't you? Something a _little _more important than a math quiz."

Laura was always impressed by how down-to-business Gina could be sometimes. However, sometimes, it was also a little irritating. This time, she was glad someone had spoken up about it....she wanted the conversation to be held, but she would have had no idea how to start it.

"You're right..." Laura sighed, propping her chin up with her palm. "These past two days have been a little on the crazy side! June is saying one thing, and you're saying another..." She bit her lip, looking from Mika to Gina with attentive brown eyes. "All I want to know is what really happened with this whole...love triangle thing. I don't want to take sides, I just...want to know what _caused _all of this fighting. I don't want to judge a situation I only know half of."

As soon as she got the words out, it felt as if an immense weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but a lot of weight still remained there. She still had to receive an answer...and hopefully it would be one that would shed a bit of light on Roberto's earlier comments.

"_It's one of those situations that you can't judge until you know the whole story, Haruna.._."

But...once she knew, would it make things better, or worse?

Mika, after enjoying a bite of her banana split, sighed, a weary look coming into her dark blue eyes. Gina, sensing her friend's apprehension, remarked, "I can tell the story if you want, Mika...just cut in anywhere you feel you need to, okay? There are some parts that...well, only you can tell." Mika nodded, signaling Gina to go on ahead, before she cast a furtive glance at Laura, as if trying to read the brunette's unclear expression.

Gina cleared her throat, took another sip of her strawberry smoothie, and began.

"It was about a week ago, before school started. Josh called me and invited me to go out to ice cream with him after soccer practice...so I met him here, at this very table, actually, and he brought along a couple of the guys from the team. Reese came...and Roberto tagged along too, for some odd reason. He never struck me as the overly-social type, but he was here."

Laura was startled, and her thoughts began to race wildly. _Roberto_...? What reason would he have had to go along?

Gina went on, choosing to direct her piercing green gaze on the distant sunset as she spoke. "We were having a really good time, just talking and laughing, joking around. But then the conversation turned kind of serious. Mika - " Gina glanced briefly at her friend, before turning back to the orange-red sky. " - called me and told me that Travis was almost an hour late for their date at the movies, and she was getting nervous by herself. Of course, we began to talk about Mika and Travis after I had hung up. Reese..." Gina paused for a moment, thinking about how to articulate something. "Reese is a pretty strange guy, but he's _sincere_. And Laura, if you could have seen the look in his eyes when he talked about his feelings for her..." Even Gina looked moved as she remembered that past conversation, and Mika blushed harder.

"...It's more his story. You'd have to ask _him _about that. Besides, I don't think I'd do it any justice."

Laura doubted she would get an opportunity like that....enigmatic Reese was not exactly the type to have small talk with, especially when she knew so little about him. However, she was intrigued...what could he have possibly said to convince Gina and the others that his desire to date Mika, who had been taken at the time, was with solely good intentions?

"Anyway, Roberto brought up a good point a few minutes later - after soccer practice, Travis had stayed behind to work on some strategies with Coach Kaz, and he hadn't mentioned his plans with Mika. Apparently, he forgot all about his date..." Gina looked a little miffed as she remembered. "I was about to call her, but she called me instead. Travis had contacted her, and apologized, but he had to cancel...it had totally _slipped his mind._" Her last words were biting.

"He was really sorry..." Mika muttered, in defense of her ex. "But I didn't have a way to get home, and it was getting kind of late. I didn't want to walk home by myself in the dark..."

Gina picked it up again. "I told her someone would come to walk with her, but I had curfew to meet, and Mika's house is practically across town from mine. Josh had to be home because his grandparents were visiting, and Roberto...well, he's Roberto, he didn't want to drag his lazy butt all the way over to the movie theater just to walk, ahem... '_some random chick_' home..."

Laura couldn't help but give a stifled giggle, despite her current predicament with the orange-haired boy.

"...so that left only one option. He was a little reluctant, because he wasn't sure how she'd react, but he really wanted to go. He wanted his chance at the walk he hadn't gotten all those weeks before."

Laura felt a chill slither up her spine. Now, Reese was starting to look like the catalyst of this whole affair...the bad guy in the unfurling plot-line.

Gina's emerald eyes settled on Laura's face, and her cool, complacent expression seemed almost out of place for the subject matter. In that same, dry, matter-of-fact tone she always had, she told Laura, "...Of course, I convinced him to go."

A silence, tense, but not too uncomfortable, had settled. Laura realized that her bowl of rocky road was sitting out in front of her, already slightly melted. The waiter had brought it, but she had been so involved in the tale Gina was weaving that she hadn't even noticed. Idly, she took a cold, sweet bite with her plastic spoon. The icy sensation helped to soothe some of her raging nerves.

Gina smiled faintly. "Hear me out. Josh and Roberto were there too, and they didn't object because they _knew _Reese's side. What Reese didn't know was that Little Miss Shy over here - " She tilted her head to Mika, " - hadn't exactly been _blind _to his feelings, as he had thought."

Laura instantly recalled the conversation that she and Mika had back at Mika's pool party, all those weeks ago. She had informed Laura that she kissed both Reese and Travis at a party, which had sparked the entire bitter feud between the two boys over her affections. Travis got to her first, and she had accepted his offer, and Mika had just figured Reese was upset over the whole deal...he had gotten the short end of the stick, after all, but Mika had guessed that he would get over it; a guess that had been proven completely untrue, now.

Gina shrugged her shoulders. Laura was about to prompt her to continue, now eager to hear the rest, but it was Mika who went on.

"This whole thing is pretty much my fault..." she tucked a strand of her shortened hair behind her ear. "After that first party, I thought Travis was a really nice guy. He kind of...blind-sided me by asking me out. I was so flustered the 'yes' came out before I even had a chance to think about it. I - I didn't want to hurt his feelings..." She bit her lip, and squeezed her eyes shut, as if recalling something painful. "...but it was stupid of me to go out with a guy without any deeper feelings for him."

Laura remained stonily silent, and still as a statue. This news fell on her like a thick blanket, but, in the aftermath, she couldn't say she was surprised.

Mika's voice fell to a whisper, and she stared hard at the wilting remainder of the banana in her mostly-eaten sundae. "...I liked Reese the entire time, but I was scared to admit it, because I knew it would hurt Travis. I tried to give Travis a chance, but...after awhile, I knew that it was just friendship I felt for him. He was so great to me, but every time I saw Reese..."

To Laura's surprise, she let out a small, airy giggle. Looking up to Laura with melancholy, but genuine blue eyes, she asked, "You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach around the guy you like? All those butterflies, or a sensation like you're flying? Whenever I saw Reese then, and even now when I see him, that's what I get. It's sappy, but it's true."

Laura remembered it well. Only now, recalling that made her stomach twist with pain.

Gina took another turn. "Naturally, as her closest friend here, I knew _all_ of this _before _that night at the ice cream parlor. I knew that Mika liked him the way he liked her, so I _had _to convince Reese to go and walk her home from the movies. And well..." She cringed a little. "Travis and I have never gotten along too well, but I feel bad for what happened to him. I didn't think he'd show up at the movies and see them there..."

Mika piped up, blushing, "That was a horrible mistake. When Reese came to walk me home I was really happy, because I'd wanted to talk to him about our 'situation' for a while. We kind of wound up talking about it right in the theater lobby, and...Reese was just so honest with me I had to be honest with him too, and well...I don't know how long Travis had been standing there, or what he heard before he came over and confronted us..." She buried her face in her hands, her voice coming out muffled behind her fingers. "I should have been more considerate of Travis. He ended things right there, and I deserved that, because I should have told Travis the truth from the start."

Laura digested that slowly as she took a few more bites of ice cream, thoughtfully silent. Mika sounded genuinely apologetic about hurting Travis's feelings, her biggest folly, which was a good thing...but it remained that his feelings were _still _hurt. And, from what Laura knew, no apology had been made yet from either Mika or Reese. She understood what it was like to like somebody so much, only to realize that it was a hopeless dream...and she didn't know what it was like to realize that dream was possible, after all, but she imagined Reese and Mika had jumped at the chance and hadn't really taken time to calculate the backlash.

Gina sensed Laura's thoughts, and remarked, "The whole thing has been blown out of proportion. And it wouldn't have been, but June - " she sneered the name, " - had to rant and rave about it. Reese didn't have feelings for her, and she couldn't accept that, so she blackened both his and Mika's name even further, which got Travis even _more _riled up about it, because June had found out I was involved and word got back to him that there had been some kind of conspiracy or something, which there hadn't been, really...it was all a spur of the moment thing..."

Mika nodded sadly. "I was going to apologize to everyone who got hurt, Travis especially, once things had died down some. But June convinced him that Reese and I had been seeing each other behind his back the whole time, and it hadn't been like that at all..." She fiddled absently with her spoon. "Now, he won't even _look _at us, and everyone's divided. All I want to do is apologize to him, and ask his forgiveness. I never meant for things to get this out of control."

That sincerity was the last thing Laura had needed to hear. It comforted her to know that Mika hadn't intentionally hurt Travis, and meant to apologize for the harm she had inflicted. Reese's shady intentions were still a little bit of a mystery, but now, Laura was sure of one thing...she couldn't hate Mika for all that had transpired, though she also couldn't say she agreed with how it all happened. At least the girl admitted her wrongdoing, and wanted to amend it. But could she get that chance, with June and Travis still so angry?

Mika wasn't taking Laura's silence well. Peering into the brunette's face with worried blue eyes, Mika asked, a bit pained, "Do you hate me now too, Laura? I - I understand if you do..."

Laura snapped back to reality with a start. "Of course not!" she assured Mika, placing a comforting hand on the girl's arm, which brought a relieved smile to Mika's face. "I can tell you didn't want to hurt Travis. And at least you admitted your wrongs."

"Good! I mean, I don't want you to have to take sides either. I'm just glad that you could hear the other side of the story..."

"The side other than June's _poison_!" Gina spat bitterly, slurping her milkshake with extra zeal, her eyebrows knitted together.

Laura was also very relieved that part of the story had been cleared up now, but was still troubled by the fragmented state of her friendships. Stirring the last few bites of her ice cream in the bowl, Laura commented sadly, "I like to think that all of this could be resolved. I mean, if you're really sorry, and June and Travis are willing to hear you out..."

Gina snorted. "_June _won't listen to reason. And Travis has been stomping around school like some kind of infuriated bull. I'm sure he wouldn't listen either...any guy would be really frustrated with his very first relationship not working out, but Travis is taking mad to the _extreme_."

Laura considered that, but said, noticing that the mention of his name sent no butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach this time, "Still...I think you should give it a shot. He may be really mad now, but I think what he probably needs to hear is an apology, firsthand, from you. And probably Reese, but I still haven't heard his story.. ."

Mika pondered that, and, slowly a smile spread across her face. "You're right, Laura...." She said, appreciation gleaming in her eyes. "I've been so scared to approach him, but...it needs to be done. And I really want him to know that I didn't mean to hurt him...and I hope we can be friends after this..." As she spoke, she seemed to grow more assured of herself. Enthusiastically, she grasped one of Laura's hands and pumped it eccentrically up and down. "Thank you, Laura! I'll try and talk to him tomorrow!"

Laura grinned, pleased by Mika's resolve. Maybe, if Travis forgave her, eventually June would also, and they could put this entire tiff behind them, like some horrible nightmare, and all would resume happily...

All of a sudden, a ringtone began to blare loudly from Mika's shorts. Startled, the girl reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, looking at the ID on the front, a brilliant grin spreading across her face. "It's Reese..." She muttered under her breath to the other two, before flipping open the phone and putting it to her ear with a cheerful, "Hey!"

Laura couldn't help but smile. She hadn't ever seen Mika so happy...but it pained her to know that most of it was at Travis's expense. And even though his name no longer sent ribbons of excitement through her heart, she still considered Travis a dear friend, and she was glad that Mika was willing to give him the apology he deserved...

"What?!?!"

Mika's startled yelp brought Laura crashing back to reality. She turned her gaze to the tan-haired girl, whose eyes were now wide, the phone pressed tightly to her ear as she listened to whatever Reese had to say. Her face had been drained of all color, and the hair on the back of Laura's neck was standing up, and even unshakeable Gina looked moderately worried by the tone of Mika's voice. Something was definitely wrong....

"Okay...yeah. I'm so sorry, Reese....No, I'm coming right there. Just stay where you are, I'll find you. Are you sure you're okay?...Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes. Bye."

As she flipped her phone closed and crammed it into her pocket, she stood up from her chair, face chalk-white and blue eyes frantic. "What's wrong, Mika?" Gina asked.

Mika was fumbling with some bills in her pocket, trying to find the right amount of money to leave for her ice cream, dropping several coins on the pavement that she completely ignored. In a shaky, but swift voice, she replied, "Reese and Travis got into it down at the park soccer fields. Travis punched Reese in the nose...I have to go help him out; he thinks it's broken. I'll see you later, Gina. Thanks again for your advice, Laura..." She quickly smiled at Laura, before scurrying off, worry painted into every crevice of her face. As soon as she was past the cluster of people waiting for ice cream, she broke into a dead sprint down the sidewalk, disappearing from sight shortly thereafter as she ducked around a corner.

Gina's mouth was agape with shock, and Laura imagined that she wore a similar expression. For a moment, they sat in stunned silence, Laura hating how things had begun to look up, only to have them suddenly shoot down again, and Gina looking like she had just been punched in the gut. After the pause, Gina stared hard at the table, her face so pale her freckles even looked lighter. In a small voice, she said,

"Things didn't have to be this way. All they wanted to do was be together. They may not have gone about it the right way, but..." She sighed deeply, as if finally realizing just how horribly twisted things had become. "...I never imagined it would bring about the end of so many friendships. I wonder...if just _one _apology can fix this mess."

Laura, disturbed by the resolute tone to Gina's voice, quickly paid for her ice cream and bade the redhead goodbye, eager to go back home, and get away from the continuous saga of despair that was crushing her friends.

"_Just when things were starting to look like they could get better.._."

Suddenly, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She couldn't let so many friendships end this way...there had to be something she could do, or something _someone _could do, that would amend everything, and mend the broken relationships that had been destroyed because of just one little mistake. Even if it took a thousand apologies...somehow, there had to be a way to make everyone happy again, or, at least, give everyone a better understanding of what had happened. But if Travis had reverted to throwing punches...

She squeezed her eyes shut, walking faster. "_There has to be some way...some way that this can all be put behind us..._"

And, inexplicably, she had a feeling that the answer would come to her. Somehow. Because she knew that even when things looked to be at their bleakest, there would always be a faint glimmer of light there. Hamtaro, the ever-cheerful hamster she missed dearly, had taught her that much. And there was still a glimmer of hope that the friendships that had been broken during this ordeal would be stitched back into unity. All she needed was some time to figure out how to reach that distant point of light...

* * *

A soft knock came at Hamorette's door as the sun was making way for the moon to rise. Hamorette, fluffing her golden curls before the banquet, assumed that it was Sprint, wondering if she was ready to begin the festivities. Gazing at herself intensely in the mirror, she called out a preoccupied "Come in!" without even bothering to make the unknown knocker identify themselves.

So, naturally, when Screech waltzed in she caught a glimpse of him in the mirror, dropped her fur brush, and whirled around wide-eyed.

"Screech!" She exclaimed, a paw flying over her heart, absolutely stunned to see him return after their heated argument that afternoon. "W-what are you....you've come back!" She had thought that her forbidding him to marry Fury would have chased him off for certain...and yet, here he was, standing here again. What had caused his change of heart?

Screech nodded, expression one of somber severity. "I have, my lady. And I returned to apologize to you." His voice was cool, but collected, and retained it's proper formality. She noticed, with a twinge of pain, that much of his friendliness had faded away. Had something happened in the hour or two since he had disappeared?

Hamorette's eyes widened further, though she would not allow her hopes to fly again. Screech had made it painfully clear that he felt smoochie for no one but Fury, so she didn't expect him to reverse his prior rejection. But still, the mention of an apology eased her troubled mind somewhat, and relieved a part of her cloudy mood. Even if her affections had been jilted, she still wished to have Screech at her side...he had always been a comforting presence, so like that ham she had once known...

"Yes?" She asked him lightly.

Screech bowed his head. Though his voice remained a bit chilly, there was a strong wave of sincerity in it as well, as he said, "_Oopsie_, my lady. I should have never lost my temper with you like that. I...I've just never been so frustrated before in my life. However, I should not have reacted the way I did, and I offer you an apology from the bottom of my heart. If you will be so kind as to accept my apology, I would like to request my position as head knight back. But only if you see fit, my lady."

Hamorette smiled faintly, though she felt another twang of pain as she recognized the fact that the apologetic heart Screech spoke of belonged to Fury, and _only _Fury. Perhaps that was simply a fact she would grow to accept...key word being _perhaps_. The idea of the pair marrying still made her stomach turn...Especially with Fury's predicament....

"Still, it was better to have Screech back than not, even if he had spurned her. "Very well, Screech..." She smiled wider, hoping to alleviate some of his burden, while her own heart mended slightly. "I accept your apology, and I expect you back at your position for the banquet tonight. Is that all right?" She purposely avoided mentioning the argument that had started their entire feud, not eager to fight with him anymore, when his emotions were teetering on the edge of danger and she herself was a bit of an emotional wreck, in these rough, high-tension times.

Screech smiled, a dulled smile that had lost much of it's usual energy. "I appreciate that, my lady. And I am thankful you have welcomed me back to my station. I promise, I will not get so blash-T with you again."

There was much left unsaid between the two. Screech still wished to be part of the group that would be fighting Steel in the drawing battle, and he still desired to be allowed to marry the smoochie of his life. Hamorette clung gently to the faint hope that Screech would forget his treasured wishes that she had so adamantly rejected. But, she admired that he had come to apologize, and that he had seen her hurt feelings as something he wanted to set right. At least she belonged in his heart _somewhere_.

And his apology reminded her so much of that time, so long ago, in the gardens of that fallen castle, where she and that old friend - the old friend that existed only in cherished memories, now - had played for hours, and he had apologized frantically for accidentally tripping her and ruining the new party dress her father had bought her. How his father had scolded him afterward! She would always remember that day...the look on that old friend's face had been remarkably similar to Screech's expression...such cold, but burning blue eyes, almost exactly like _his_....one of the main reasons she had admired the knight for so long. He was so like that young hamster of her childhood years...

"I must get ready for the banquet, my lady," Screech bowed again, keeping his strict formality, ice blue eyes frosted. "Thank-Q again, for allowing me another chance."

Princess Hamorette watched him leave with a mixture of emotions swirling in her confused heart. As soon as the door closed behind him, and she was sue he was gone, she turned back to the mirror with a deep, heavy sigh. She tried to smile, but the result was melancholy, and her eyes remained troubled and hazy, as she spoke aloud to herself in a voice tinged with both sorrow and nostalgia,

"...and things shall never be the same, shall they?"

* * *

**CFB:** _**A little hamster told me that CFB turned seventeen today...and the perfect birthday present would be...REVIEWS! She didn't have a good B-day, so some reviews may cheer her up...**_

**Next time:** Steel makes his return with a bang! What has our favorite villain concocted for Dreamland? At the banquet, problems and worries afflict the ham-hams amidst the fun. Will Hamtaro get his chance to apologize to Bijou? Will Maxwell figure out why Sandy is angry with him? Why is Sprint suddenly nervous to speak with Siren? Why is Panda so worried? Why do I cinstantly write these things with lots of questions? Are those some unexpected guests? I have the answers, so find out next time! Update may not be for a week....I'm doing a mass edit, but I'm working as hard as I can.


	11. Partycrashers!

**CFB:** Nothing like a banquet to calm the ham-hams down, right? We'll see about that. Mwahahaha. This chapter may be a little bit longer that the last few have been, but there's so much plot to cover in so little time...this is an important chapter!

On a side note, this fic is already longer than it's predecessor, Guardian Towers. YAY! I surpassed 100,000 words!!! *_throws a party_* Let's try and make it eclipse 200,000! We'll see about that...

**This time: **Steel gets ready to enact his wicked plans, while Hamorette throws a lavish party for the ham-hams in the courtyard. Will Hamtaro have his chance to apologize to Bijou? Panda is worried, Maxwell wonders how Sandy can be so blash-T with him, while Siren chats some more with Sprint, and he struggles with the secret he feels he has to keep from her - wait, are those some uninvited guests?! Steel brings about the meaning of the title!

This chapter is dedicated to **Theta Jones** for being a ridiculously awesome reviewer and so supportive of this fic! Many thanks, yet again, and hats off to you!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

* * *

**Chapter 10:** _Partycrashers!_

When the golden sun fell behind the distant trees, Steel knew that the time had come.

"Nikolai! Fury! Come here at once!"

Immediately following the summons, Nikolai scrambled out of the throne room and onto the balcony with lightning speed, where Steel stood poised, his sleek fur blending with the twilight, watching as the defiant stars began to glimmer in the inky blackness above. His cold blue eyes shone with an eager anticipation, though the smirk on his iron grey face was sinister and chilling, making his entire expression scream with wickedness. The royal scepter, containing the Stone of Slumber, was held firmly in his vicelike paw, ready for war.

"Yes, Master Steel!" Nikolai panted, eager to please his easy-to-irritate master. He even saluted, for good measure, though his heart was pounding furiously with his jumbled nerves.

Fury ambled in a moment later, obviously not caring that it had taken her more time, face still as void and empty as it had been since her capture. However, the Staff of Nightmares held tightly in her paw was emitting a soft red light at this point, sensing that night had fallen around them and it was time for nightmares to come out and wreak their havoc upon slumbering minds. Glowing with the faint, almost misty light, Nikolai found Fury's lifeless grey eyes even more chilling than their usual dull state, and he scooted away from her impulsively, furtive eyes darting back over to her from time to time to make sure she wasn't going to attack him.

Steel turned around to face his minions, mildly annoyed. "Nikolai!" He barked accusingly, making the tiny hamster tremble under the rim of his green hat. "What took you so long?!" The iron-furred hamster demanded, pointing the sharp end of his scepter under the soft pink of Nikolai's tender nose.

Nikolai, not wanting to make Steel even angrier, didn't feel the need to point out that he had arrived promptly when Steel called, while zombie Fury had taken her sweet time. Nikolai knew better than to oppose his Master in any way, lest he be thrown across the room for his insolence yet _again_. "Oopsie, Master Steel!" He wheezed, and Steel's face relaxed somewhat, leaving Nikolai relieved for the time being.

Steel straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath, inspecting his two troops with his calculating gaze. He knew that they were extremely outnumbered, as Dreamland had hundreds of knights and, according to Nikolai's report from earlier that day, had brought in outside help as well, though he wasn't sure what kind. But Steel also knew that with the Stone of Slumber and Staff of Nightmares in his power, numbers mattered very little, and if anyone had the upper-paw, it was he and his two-ham team, especially if they also had the element of surprise. The major factor in the pending attack on Dreamland was two very simple things - The Staff of Nightmares, combined with the Stone of Slumber. And a surprise attack not unlike the one that had resulted in the fall of Hamaustere, so long ago...

"Both of you are aware that tonight is the night we strike Dreamland, yes?" He asked airily, eying the pair cooly. Nikolai began to tremble, but Fury continued to stand listlessly, expressionless, awaiting orders without a trace of emotion.

"Yes, Master Steel!" They both chorused, Fury's a dull chant, Nikolai's a trembling reply.

Steel grinned gleefully, showing off his glistening teeth. "Very good..." He purred, imagining the siege that was about to come and how good vengeance would feel once he had captured it - as well as the one who had aided his years of torment. "And we have one main objective for the night. We cannot fail in that objective, or somebody will _pay, _and I _assure _you, the price will be extremely _high_."

He snarled the threat, putting extra, almost violent emphasis on the most dire words, his voice scathing and teeth bared, and he cast his icy blue eyes to Niklolai, insuring the shaggy little hamster that if they failed, _he_ would be the one to pay. And Nikolai began to shiver even harder as his nerves raged in his veins. Now the pressure was on....he _had _to succeed, or face Steel's unending wrath! "Y-yes, Master...I won't let you down!" He have another trembling salute, trying to make his terrified expression look more like determination, and Steel was satisfied with the end result.

Steel nodded his head in a dignified manner, like a proud general before a climactic battle. "Excellent. Now that you are aware of the importance of this mission, I will give you your special assignments...._Nikolai_!"

He practically yelled the name, and Nikolai tumbled backwards onto his tail from fright and surprise. Steel ignored this and forged on, voice strict and clipped, as Nikolai scrambled hastily to his feet and listened with ears pricked forward, "Once Fury and I infiltrate the castle, you have perhaps the most important task of all..." He threw a coil of thick rope at the little ham, who caught it and fell onto his back with a startled 'oomph!'

"..._you_ must find a way to capture Princess Hamorette."

Nikolai, holding the rope, began to tremble even harder, absolutely mortified by this job, jaw almost striking the ground. He had to _capture the princess_? Why didn't Steel just ask him to go and find Hamlantis while he was at it! If he so much as attempted to touch Hamorette's paw, Screech and Sprint, her two head knights, would pummel him into hamster dust! Even when he had been a Dreamland citizen, he had been absolutely terrified of Sprint and Screech, not to mention Joy and Fury, or any of the knights! And who even _knew _about what kinds of powers these new heroes had...

As if sensing the little hench-ham's horror, Steel snorted, totally unmoved by and unsympathetic of Nikolai's fears. "Don't look so petrified, Nikolai..." He scoffed, rolling his azure eyes. "You're _trained _to be a thief, and that is the task I gave you, what did you expect? Besides, Fury and I will be distracting the knights and Dreamland forces, so you should have plenty of time and opportunity to get the job done..." He narrowed his frigid eyes. "Is that _clear_?" The way he spoke it, it wasn't a question - more like a command.

Nikolai gulped, hazel eyes watery. So long as he didn't run into his brothers....

"Y-Yes, Master Steel. I...I will do my best."

"Good..." Steel turned his gaze to Fury's mindless form, his smirk widening and eyes agleam with vengeful anticipation. He could feel power coursing through his veins, and the Stone of Slumber began to glow crimson, the light reflected wickedly in his tempest eyes and pulsing in perfect rhythm with the already luminescent Staff of Nightmares in Fury's paw. Voice low and snarling, he spoke, as the near-full moon cast it's silvery light across them all, sending their shadows long and menacing across the courtyard below,

"...And you and I, Fury, will give those 'heroes' and pathetic knights a nightmare beyond their wildest fears, won't we?"

As if commanded to, a deep growl rumbled deep in Fury's chest, making Nikolai utter a wheezy squeak. She lowered her body into a defensive stance, the fur on the back of her neck bristling and russet ears flat against her head. The Protector of Slumber held her staff tightly, in both paws now, and bared her teeth, looking more like a wild animal on a mission than a civilized hamster. Her eyes narrowed, so near to the Staff that they no longer looked their usual, empty grey; instead gleaming the color of freshly spilt blood.

Steel laughed deeply, sending shivers up Nikolai's spine and inspiring another vicious snarl from Fury, piercing the veil of night like a knife. That was all the assurance he needed to know his plan would be a success. Revenge was within reach now, so close to his outstretched paws, he couldn't wait until it was his to bask in. Finally, those responsible for all of his misery and pain, were going to experience the trauma they had put him through...and he was thrilled to be the malevolent cause of it.

"Get ready _Dreamland_...to face your worst nightmare!"

* * *

Hamtaro and Siren, through their hamteam, had managed to inform each ham-ham about the banquet and rounded them up just in time for the event to take place. Excitement high, the ham-hams had expected Princess Hamorette to be perfectly capable of throwing a nice party, being a royal and all, but the sight that met them when they collectively trooped down into the courtyard at nightfall for the banquet was so _wondachu _they were practically in awe as they stood on the bottom of the back staircase, soaking in the sights, sounds, and thrilled atmosphere with bright, smiling faces.

"Wow!"

A section of the courtyard's lush green grass had been reserved for dancing, and circular tables, with golden flower-motif tablecloths had been set up near a long table lined with plates upon plates of delectable hamster treats, as well as local Dreamland cuisine that set Oxnard's mouth watering. A string quintet, headed by a severe-looking, somewhat large hamster had set up off to the side, dressed for the occasion in fine Dreamland attire, and the soft strums of the mandolin and twang of the hamster-sized violins resonated softly in the summer air. Beautiful gold and white lights had been strung up over their heads, setting the mood for an enchanted evening of fun and friendship. Numerous knights, dressed in their customary armor, were positioned around the courtyard, at each entrance, standing so still they looked like part of the scenery rather than living, breathing hamsters. Joy was flitting about, giving the stone-still knights their orders for the night.

The princess herself was seated at the head of the largest table, up on a raised platform, in a chair that resembled a mini-throne more than an ordinary seat. On either side of her stood a knight, dressed in loose, Dreamland style tunics rather than armor - to her left, Sprint stood loyally, and, to her right (and to the surprise of nearly all of the ham-hams, as each of them had heard about his tiff with Hamorette by now) stood Screech, reinstated and smiling faintly, as if nothing, no climactic argument between he and Hamorette, had happened that afternoon. The only indication of prior trouble was a clouded look in his ice-blue eyes.

"Screech is back!" Pashmina whispered to the others, glad to see that he hadn't quit his position after all. "Maybe that means he and Princess Hamorette made up!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" A delighted Penelope chirped.

Maxwell, a new book from the library tucked carefully under his arm, nodded, murmuring, "It certainly looks that way, doesn't it?" His nose was still a bit swollen, and slightly red in color, but he had told Hamtaro and anyone else who had asked that he had tripped and fallen, hitting his nose on the corner of a book shelf, not really wanting to tell them that it had actually been Sandy's wickedly accurate aim that had caused his injury. Sandy was standing a good distance away from him, next to Stan, ignoring his presence.

"Zat ees hamtast!" Bijou remarked, a small smile spreading across her face. After Hamtaro's clueless-ness had resulted in her tears, she had tried to venture around Dreamland alone, but found that she was too upset to enjoy the magnificent sights. Despite that, she was determined to enjoy this party and not let her hamboy woes get in the way of a fun evening with the Dreamlanders. Pointedly, she kept her gaze away from the orange-furred ham-ham who had caused said woe, to avoid even more undesirable emotions to rise within her, which would likely result in more tears she did not want to come. "I would have 'ated to zee them still blash-T with each other! Now we can enjoy ze party togezzer and 'ave a good time, _non_?"

"You said it, Bijou!" Boss stepped forward, drawing in a huge breath, and then letting it out slowly, his eyes agleam and eager. "We have to have fun before things around here get too serious! Now, time to hit the dance floor! I got a couple moves I can show you _amateur _hams..."

"Yeah right, Boss-man! Everyone knows I'm the master of cool moves!" Stan struck a pose, eying the hamgirls with a wink.

"Bring it on, pretty boy!" Boss retorted, a competitive fire burning in his eyes.

"Greetings, ham-hams, brave heroes of Hamwall!" Before anyone had a chance to move, Hamorette spread her paws out wide and welcomed her guests with a warm, contented smile, her voice ringing out against the soft notes of the string quintet, still playing leisurely near the food table. She had changed her clothes, and was now wearing an extravagant, coral-colored dress, accentuated with golden trim and ribbons, her golden locks curled to perfection and jade eyes clear, with no sign of tears on the horizon. "It is a pleasure to see you this evening, and I hope you enjoy the banquet I have prepared to honor your presence here!"

She beckoned for the ham-hams, still in awe, to move forward. They did so, still looking around, marveling at the sights, sounds, and, scents. They knew what a banquet was, but hadn't imagined something quite so luxurious- but, considering where they were and who was throwing the festivities, the ham-hams couldn't say they were surprised. "Zey don't call eet Dreamland for nuzzing!" Bijou marveled. "Zis party ees zo beautiful, it's exactly like one I would 'ave dreamt of!"

"Like, totally! This is hamtast!" Sandy gave Bijou an overly eccentric paw-five. Both hamgirls were glad for this time, as there was nothing better to drive of depression than a fun banquet with your hamigos, so long as you avoided what had made you _bluhoo _in the first place. And they were determined to avoid two certain hamboys...

As the ham-hams stood in the center of the lush dance-floor, Hamorette replied, "I am glad that you like the little soiree I have set up. Tonight is the night where we honor you, brave heroes, for coming to Dreamland's aid. We are eternally grateful for the service you are doing for our land - the hamster _world_, even, and hopefully this will begin to repay you for your kindness. So please, noble hams, eat and be happy! This is a celebration for you!"

She raised her paws up, one holding a small goblet of apple cider, and declared in a cheerful, powerful toast, "To the ham-hams!"

The ham-hams were amazed when each armored knight surrounding the area chorused, "To the ham-hams!" and then Joy, Screech, and Sprint also echoed, with beaming smiles, "To the ham-hams!" There was a burst of applause, and several of the ham-hams could feel their cheeks heat up with a sheepishness they could not shake. They may not have felt as if they deserved such praise and tribute, but they sure were going to enjoy it while they could.

Immediately following the toast, the ham-hams fanned out under the brilliant lights. Oxnard hit to buffet table straight away, and Hamtaro joined his hamigo, taking considerably less food than his spotted friend. The hamgirls began to dance as the string quintet began to play a catchier, more upbeat song, and Stan tried to join in, though Howdy, Dexter, and Boss managed to drag both he and his maracas away from them before he could even shake his tail. A few of the ham-hams, namely Panda and Maxwell, decided to sit down at their own tables by themselves, while Cappy and Penelope played a game of tag on the dance floor. Hamorette, preferring to drink in the celebration as opposed to actually partaking, merely sat in her chair, watching everything as it happened, though Sprint, Screech, and Joy meandered into the chatter and thrum of the party, eager to mingle with their foreign guests.

After going through the food line, Hamtaro and Oxnard sought refuge at one of the circular tables, sitting down with their separate plates, Oxnard's stacked at least three inches higher than Hamtaro's. "Gee, Oxy!" The orange-furred ham commented once they had taken their seats, his brown eyes wide. "That's enough food for three hamsters! Are you going to be able to _eat_ all of that?"

Oxnard beamed, cheeks already stuffed with a lemon tart. "This is _nothing_, Hamtaro!" He replied once he had swallowed, eyes aglow. "Sometimes it feels like I've got three stomachs, so this is just _hamtast _for me!"

While his friend chowed down on the divine Dreamland cuisine, Hamtaro picked carefully at his plate, only taking a few nibbles of ordinary sunflower seeds. While hunting down the ham-hams earlier, to inform them about the banquet, he had been looking forward to finding Bijou and getting a chance to apologize to her. However, since he had been hamteaming with Siren, she had actually been the one to find their snow-colored friend, and she had disappeared into the girls room before Hamtaro had gotten his opportunity. He wanted very badly to say oopsie, even if he wasn't altogether sure what his folly had been, exactly. He knew that he had _somehow _made Bijou upset, and he wanted, more than anything, to fix that.

"Hey, Oxy..." Hamtaro turned his gaze to Oxnard, who momentarily paused his feasting to peer at his hamigo with curiosity. "Have...have you ever made Pepper upset with you?"

Oxnard's eyes clouded over with confusion, and he tilted his head to one side, food forgotten for the moment. "Heke? Like, have I made her bluhoo?" Oxnard's eyes suddenly widened, and he leaned forward, horror-struck, "Why do you ask?! Has she said anything to you?! Oh, I knew she was mad at me for not complimenting her new bandana last time I saw her, I just _knew _it! OH, WHAT DO I DO?!" He immediately began to perspire, fretting frantically. "PEPPER, WHEREVER YOU ARE I'M SORRYYYY!!!" He threw his head back and called out to the night sky, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

Alarmed, Hamtaro exclaimed, waving his paws out, "No, no, Oxy! It was just a question!"

Oxnard halted, breathing a sigh of relief, though his heart continued to thunder in his chest. "_Thump-P_! You almost scared me out of my fur, Hamtaro!" He wiped the unshed tears from his eyes, managing a weak smile and a hiccup of a laugh. "I thought Pepper was really upset with me! I hate it when I make her sad or angry..." His eyes shifted from relieved to melancholy, as he thought fondly of Pepper. "When she's upset, it's just like _I'm_ upset!"

Hamtaro absorbed that, placing a paw gently over where his heart beat. It had been paining him, ever since he had made Bijou cry. Her tears and sorrow had incited similar emotions inside of him, and it made him feel like he had hurt himself by hurting Bijou. What had caused such a reaction inside his confused heart?

Oxnard popped another seed into his mouth. "Why do you ask, Hamtaro?" He inquired curiously, cheeks full.

Hamtaro sighed, still horribly befuddled, as he propped his chin up with his paws. "I was talking with Bijou and the others this afternoon, and something I said must have hurt Bijou's feelings, because she started to cry and got pretty blash-T with me. I just don't know what I did to make her like that!" Speaking about it brought back the painful memories, and he wished he could push them from his mind.

"Gasp-P!" Oxnard exclaimed, looking worried. "Come to think of it, Bijou has seemed a little down ever since she got back from sightseeing..."

Hamtaro nodded, casting a furtive glance over his shoulder at the hamgirls, who were dancing together and laughing merrily. Bijou looked like she was having fun, but a haunted, clouded gleam remained in her usually carefree blue eyes. Hamtaro's heart sunk even lower, as he realized he was the cause of such a look on the face of one of his very best hammos. "I'm so confused, Oxy!" Hamtaro exclaimed helplessly. "What should I do to make Bijou feel better! I hate seeing her so _bluhoo_!"

Oxnard tapped his chin with thought. "I dunno, Hamtaro....but I _do _know that when I apologize to Pepper after I make her upset, she always seems to feel better! So maybe you should apologize to Bijou?"

Hamtaro had, naturally, thought of that. He wasn't _that_ clueless. But he still wasn't altogether sure what he had done, so how could he apologize sincerely? "I did hurt her feelings, that much I know..." He muttered to himself, squirming uneasily in his chair. "So I can at least say oopsie for that. And maybe she'll tell me what I did to make her so upset, so I won't do it again!" His eyes began to gleam with resolve, reminiscent of his heroism days.

Oxnard raised a jovial fist. "That's the spirit, Hamtaro!"

Hamtaro nodded, pleased with his plan of action. "Hamtast!" He crowed, pumping a fist and hopping off the chair, and drawing in a deep, calming breath. "Hopefully that will make Bijou smile again!" He remarked, turning his gaze toward the dance floor, and the snow-colored hamgirl dancing with her hammos.

"Good luck, Hamtaro! I'll root you on from over here...I don't want anyone to, you know...steal my food or anything..."

"Thank-Q, Oxy! I'll do my best!"

Bijou was dancing with her back to Hamtaro, as were the other hamgirls, in the comfort of the lush courtyard grass, so they didn't notice when Hamtaro approached and tapped Bijou on the shoulder, and she didn't have an opportunity to evade him. As she turned to look at him, dancing feet halting mid-step, the brilliant smile that had shone on her face faded away, and the troubled clouds in her tempest blue eyes intensified. Clearly, she wasn't altogether pleased to see him, which made his nerves greater. Sensing that the pair would likely need time alone to sort out their problems, Pashmina, Siren, Sandy, and Penelope scurried away, allowing them space. Bijou's mouth tightened into a thin, firm line, and Hamtaro drew in a shuddering breath. The world had fallen away; now the two were alone on the dance floor, everyone else's chatter and amicable laughter nothing but a buzz surrounding them.

"Oui? What ees eet, Hamtaro?" The friendliness of Bijou's tone had dissipated, the result clipped and frosted, alarming Hamtaro. He hadn't realized the extent of the damage his oblivious words had caused...Immediately, the resolve he had mustered floundered into fear and worry. What if...she _rejected _his apology?

Bijou peered listlessly at Hamtaro, taking in his worried expression, the concerned way he bit his lip, and the distraught wringing of his paws. Her heart twinged with pain for a moment, but she kept up her steely facade, not wanting Hamtaro to think he could get away with being such a foolish hamboy _again_. A part of her was telling her that she was being unfair...Hamtaro was who Hamtaro was, clueless-ness and all. And she found it adorably endearing, but why did he have to be _so_ oblivious to matters of the heart? It was that single thing that frustrated her more than anything, and why she wasn't so willing to redeem him this time around, though the look on his face was enough to make her heart break. No matter how moronic Hamtaro could be, he would always remain in a corner of her heart, smiling blissfully and laughing, ever the Hamtaro she had grown to like so much...love, even.

"Bijou..." Hamtaro had been so sure of himself before, but now the words were a struggle, fighting him, and he couldn't understand why. Talking to Bijou had never been difficult before...what was so different now? "...Bijou...I...I wanted to say _oopsie_."

Bijou's eyes widened slightly. She was so sure that Hamtaro didn't even know why she had stormed off so angrily after their fateful confrontation....but...he was apologizing? " _'ow could zat_ _be_?" She wondered internally, mouth falling open slightly. Her heart began to pound more steadily against the confinement of her ribcage.

Hamtaro drew in another shuddering breath, hardly able to look Bijou in the eye. "_Cats! Why is this so hard?_" Using paw gestures to emphasize his points, Hamtaro continued, words rushing out faster than he could think them up, "Look, Bijou....I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings. To be honest, I don't even really understand what I did..."

Bijou's heart sank a little, and her eyes fell to the green grass. Of _course_ he didn't....

"But I do understand that you were hurt, Bijou. And even if I don't know what I did, I know I did something, and your feelings got hurt. And I'm really, really sorry that it happened. Believe me, I would never do anything to hurt your feelings on purpose. There's nothing worse than seeing you cry, Bijou! We're hammos, after all! The very best of hammos! I would never want to hurt your feelings!" For some reason, there was a small twinge of pain in his chest as he said that. Very best of hammos...it was true, wasn't it?

Bijou's eyes flitted up to look into his chocolate brown, and she saw a mix of sincerity and courage swirling in their depths. Even though he didn't understand his wrong, he wanted nothing more than her forgiveness.

"Whatever it was, Bijou, I'll try not to do it again. No matter what."

Bijou couldn't help but marvel at his words. He sounded so genuine, and there was something more in that voice - more than his usual power-packed kindness - there was something added to the mix, and it made her feel as if the past few hours of anger and sorrow had not even happened. All she wanted now was to forgive Hamtaro, and this new demeanor she could sense emerging from him. This was the progress she had been longing for...the clueless-ness remained, but in that adorable way. Now, there was something else swirling in his chocolate brown eyes. She just couldn't put her paw on it...

"Zat is alright, Hamtaro..." Bijou patted his shoulder, smiling warmly. "I know you deed not mean to 'urt _moi_. All ees forgiven!"

The relief that washed over Hamtaro was too great for him to express. Instead, he decided to lunge forward and grab Bijou in the fiercest hug he'd ever dared give, a sudden surge of unexpected affection, hollering a boisterous, "Oh, thank-Q Bijou! I'll never do anything to hurt your feelings again!" Bijou was startled for a moment, but then succumbed to the comfort of his arms. With a sigh, she noted, "_I could get used to zis..._"

Eyes twinkling, the pair released each other and Bijou teased, "Actually, Hamtaro, zere is one more zing you must do before I can forgive you!"

Hamtaro, alarmed, but eager to do whatever he had to in order to redeem himself, remarked, head tilted, "What is it, Bijou?"

Smiling warmly, Bijou extended a paw toward him, her blue eyes luminous and spirit back in good cheer. Heart thundering now with emotion rather than nerves, Bijou replied softly, making Hamtaro's cheeks burn with embarrassment as she turned the tables in her favor, "You owe me one dance, Hamtaro!"

Before he could protest, Bijou had grabbed Hamtaro's paw and dragged him more toward the center of the dance floor, where Pashmina and Penelope had reconvened, Dexter and Howdy dancing with them, and Sandy was doing an intricate dance with her brother. The white-furred female took charge, swaying in time with the music and gently steering Hamtaro to follow her motions. The orange-furred hamster was bewildered; he'd danced loads of times before, but never with a hamgirl! And did Bijou look different all of a sudden? Maybe it was the lights from the party...

"Erm, Bijou?" Hamtaro stammered, as he nearly flubbed one of Bijou's delicate twirls. "I...I'm not all that good at dancing..." And, for some reason, he was especially bad this time around...his feet felt like they were trying to sabotage him on purpose.

Bijou giggled. "Silly boy..." She chastised lightly, feeling closer to her ultimate goal of being by Hamtaro's side than ever before. "Zere is always time to learn, _non_?"

And she didn't only mean dancing, but she knew that other lessons, lessons concerning the heart, needed time to be learned. And she could wait a little bit longer, if her faith would be rewarded.

* * *

The book that the librarian had graciously given him as a gift to welcome him to Dreamland was astounding to Maxwell. There were so many facts to learn, and so much history to take in, all inside the large, practically new Encyclopedia - fourth edition. Just sniffing the fresh, information-packed pages of the books was enough to set his senses on fire with a yearn to learn.

And he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it.

Every time he flipped a page, his swollen nose would throb and he would remember Sandy's tirade from earlier that day, playing over and over in his head like a record. His sometimes over-zealous thirst for knowledge had irked his girlham on numerous occasions before, but he had never seen her so _blash-T_ and _bluhoo _all at once before. Compared to any little spats they had gone through in the past, this one took the cake as being perhaps the biggest and most emotional, and Maxwell had never been so confused and hurt in his life.

The very memory of Sandy crying and shouting made his heart give a painful twist. She had so eagerly gone to the library with him, and had seemed to enjoy the book she had picked out for herself. And then, all of a sudden, she had been storming off and throwing books _at _him! Gingerly, as he sat at one off the circular tables, Maxwell raised a paw to pat his reddened nose. Every now and then, in a joking fashion, Sandy would punch him lightly on the arm or something, but she had never gotten so angry before. And he hated to think that he had caused her tears to fall.

"What could have made Sandy so upset with me....?" He asked aloud, to no one in particular, feeling decidedly morose. He gave his book another try, but the words looked like a jumbled mess of nonsense. He was simply too miserable to read - and _that _was saying something.

"_You are like, the most insensitive hamdude _ever_, Maxwell!_"

He squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the book away from him. Why would Sandy say that about him? Sandy was always so cheerful, smiling so warmly at him every single day, and listening raptly when he told her about the latest book he'd read...that was the main reason he liked her so much (or, rather, one of the main reasons); her personality was so vibrant and colorful, constantly keeping him on his toes, and she accepted him for his bookworm tendencies, despite the fact that they were so different from her own, athletic hobbies. So what had caused the sudden change? The tears, and so much rage...all directed at him.

"Why so glum, Maxy?"

Boss sauntered up to the bookworm-ham, a questioning look on his face and two plates of delicious food in his paws. "You looked kinda down in the dumps here, little buddy..." Boss remarked with a grin, stealing the seat beside Maxwell and placing one of the plates under Maxwell's sore nose. "Thought you could use a little grub to cheer you up."

Maxwell smiled at the gruff field-hamster, half-hearted. "_Thank-Q_, Boss. But to be honest, I think it will take a bit more than some food to solve my problem."

Boss eyed the forgotten book on the table with surprise. Trying to lighten the mood with a joke, he elbowed Maxwell and jested, "Well, it must be a big problem if you can't even read!"

Maxwell either didn't find the joke funny, or he was simply to upset to find a laugh. Boss, sensing the severe nature of his hammo's dark mood, glanced around the festivities in search of Sandy. He saw her chatting at a table with some of the other ham-girls, having what seemed to be a good time. But Maxwell looked so miserable...and Sandy was normally the one to try and cheer him up, considering their relationship. Unless....Maxwell's problem _involved _the tiger-striped gymnast. Boss chuckled, impressed by his own cleverness.

"So I guess this has to do with Sandy then, huh?"

Maxwell, chin propped up with his paws, chuckled faintly. "That obvious?"

Boss returned the chortle, taking a large, overindulgent bite out of a carrot biscuit. "Well, a hamboy's always the most depressed over a hamgirl. I cried over Bijou many a time before I realized it was a lost cause. But that's all in the past! Now - !" He clapped his paws together, a sincere glint in his eyes. "Tell old Boss-man what the problem is. I may be able to help you out there, Max!"

Maxwell was about to protest, but realized with a start that he was honestly helpless in this situation - like a hamster drowning in the middle of an endless ocean. And with the amount of life-experience Boss had, perhaps the field-ham would have a bit more insight to offer him than any of the other hams, even a solution to the issue that Maxwell couldn't seem to figure out. Maxwell may have been a genius, but even he got stumped sometimes - particularly with these dilemmas. Besides, there was nothing he wanted more than to realize what he had done to hurt Sandy, and make her harm him in return. There had to be _something_...and if Boss could help him, it would be an immense relief.

"Well, after Joy told us it was safe to go sightseeing, I decided to head to the library, so I could learn some more about Dreamland. And, surprisingly, Sandy wanted to come with me...."

"I see. Go on."

"I mean, Sandy doesn't normally enjoy going to libraries with me - I know that much - but she seemed to be enjoying herself once we got there. She even got her own book to read, so I thought everything was fine...."

"Mmhm. Continue."

"And then, she got blash-T with me and threw a book at my nose! She stormed off absolutely furious, and I don't know what happened!" Even speaking about it now, Maxwell was completely incredulous, and he gestured helplessly with his paws, as if to emphasize his clueless-ness. What could he have possibly done wrong?

Boss's eyes narrowed and his face clouded over with thought. "Slow down there, Max..." He held out one paw toward the bookworm ham, as if to halt him. "Do you think you left out a little bit of the story there, Max? Because it's not like Sandy to just lose her temper like that. You know, unless Stan's acting up and whatnot...do you remember anything else from before she, er, threw the book at you?"

Maxwell paused, tapping a paw to his chin. Now that Boss mentioned it...Sandy _had _suggested sightseeing, or something of that nature, while he had been busy poring over Dreamland's history....

"_...I kinda thought we could....You know, like...._go together?"

Realization dawning slowly, Maxwell began in a distant voice, "Sandy...mentioned that she wanted to go and look around Dreamland before it got too late. But I...I said that I wanted to stick around in the library and read for a while longer..."

And then, her impassioned words came crashing back to him like a tidal wave - the puzzle pieces falling into perfect alignment.

"_All I wanted to like, do here was spend some time with you, but I can see that your books are like, more important to you than I am, and you can't even like, take an hour or two to spend some time with me for a change!_"

Continuing, the grim horror settling on him like a guilty blanket, Maxwell concluded, "So...she told me that she thought I cared more about my books than her...like my books are the most _lovedove _thing in my life...the most important thing..." Of course, it all made sense _now_, when Sandy was already angry and the chance to apologize was fading every minute he put it off. Maxwell wanted nothing more than to kick himself, and, if he were at all flexible, he would have, opting instead to slap a paw to his forehead.

"Bingo!" Boss proclaimed loudly with a surprisingly boisterous laugh, making Maxwell jump, startled. Eyes twinkling, Boss slapped Maxwell on the shoulder and remarked heartily, though sympathetically, "I don't mean to laugh at your expense, Max, but for such a genius ham, you're almost as clueless as Hamtaro sometimes when it comes to this love business! Think about it. Sandy's your girlham, right?"

Maxwell nodded, feeling more guilty and horrible by the second as he recalled Sandy's tearful face from that afternoon.

Boss went on, "Well, she gave up her free time to go to the library with you. As a matter of fact, she goes to bookstores and book-signings and other book stuff with you a _lot_. But you know, it's been a while since I've seen you go out to practice rhythmic gymnastics with her, or go to one of Hilary's events, or do any of her other hobbies. Other than the games we play with everyone, you don't really participate in things Sandy does. Seems like, by going with you this afternoon..." He shot Maxwell a knowing glance that had come with the wisdom of age, his eyes imploring, as if hoping Maxwell would see his point,

"...She just wanted to spend time with _you_, and she sacrificed sightseeing to do that for you. Maybe she thought, I don't know...you'd return the favor for her?"

Maxwell's mouth fell open, and he immediately realized that he deserved every painful twinge his nose gave. When his relationship with Sandy had blossomed past friendship, he had at first questioned why she tagged along to libraries and bookstores with him, but it eventually became so routine of them that he soon didn't even wonder about it. Of _course_ she had just wanted to spend time with him! They had argued about it before, but now he was beginning to realize his grave error - he continued to put his own interests and endeavors above Sandy, assuming that she would understand. He had been so egotistical to never take _her _feelings into consideration...tey always fought because he refused to change...

"Oh, Boss, I've been horrible!" Maxwell lamented with a deep sigh, pushing his book away even further, almost disgusted by the sight of it. "All I've been doing is talking about how excited I am to learn about Dreamland, and Sandy just wanted to spend a couple of hours sightseeing with me, but I couldn't even give her that. Oh, cats..." He laid his head down on the table, careful not to hit his nose. "How could I not have seen it? I just always _have _to have my nose stuck in a book..."

Boss clapped him sympathetically on the shoulder, a frown crossing his face, as he disliked seeing one of his good hammos in such a state. "It's okay, Max..."

"No, it isn't..." Maxwell squeezed his eyes shut, from both pain and frustration. "Sandy thinks that I care more about books than I care about her, and it's all my fault! There must be _something _I can do to make her see that she's _lovedove_ to me..."

Boss shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe you could tell her that? I'm sure she'd like an apology from you. Girlhams seem to like it when you apologize to them."

Maxwell pondered that, but ultimately shook his head, more miserable than ever. He peered furtively over his shoulder at his smiling, tiger-striped girlham, who was currently dancing with her brother and laughing, looking as if she were having a merry time all on her own, _without_ Maxwell. Turning to stare at the golden tablecloth, the bookworm sighed. "I doubt it...I've already apologized to her numerous times about stuff like this. I'm afraid that this time, words just won't cut it. I have to _show _her that she's the most important thing to me...somehow!"

Maxwell's eyes shone with a somber determination, as if he were willing to do anything to prove himself worthy of Sandy, and earn her forgiveness. Boss smiled at him, pleased to see that the younger ham had realized his wrong and was looking forward to righting it. Sandy and Maxwell, despite their differences, were just about perfect for each other, and even a tough field-ham like Boss hated to see their young relationship falter in any way.

"No ideas come to mind, Maxy..." Boss replied with a sigh and a faint smile, hopping down from his chair, his work done. "But you're a smart ham - I'm sure you'll figure something out. Now, there's a plate of apple-filled acorn cakes calling my name..."

As the gruff field-ham wandered off, Maxwell immediately put his brain into thinking mode, and his mind left the party behind him. There had to be a way to amend all that had transpired because of his selfish motivation. He would think of something - anything - to do that would redeem him in the eyes of the one he cherished most. Even if he had to take drastic measures.

* * *

Nighttime was stressful for the Watchers - especially during times of peril, like the threat of Steel. It was harder to see incoming danger in the dark, even with their heightened senses and the light of the moon to aid them. So, naturally, when Steel and Co. came upon them so suddenly out of the blackness, the Watchers stood absolutely no chance.

Perched on the sturdy backs of three large crows, whose sleek wings churned the air in perfect silence, Steel, Fury, and little Nikolai approached Dreamland, the leader of the operation, Steel, hungering for his vengeance. Steel had decided that an aerial attack was the best way to get into Dreamland with secrecy, and was in the lead, flying fearlessly and controlling his crow with unmatched ease. Fury, though brainwashed, followed her leader with efficient flying skills, the Staff of Nightmares clutched safely in the paw that wasn't holding the reigns, still pulsing with crimson light. A shuddering Nikolai, petrified about his upcoming assignment, flew three wing-beats behind the other two, as he was smaller and had difficulty steering his somewhat temperamental crow.

When they were hovering very near the first outlook post in Dreamland, though out of sight of the Watcher standing alertly at the top, Steel halted their progress, pressing a finger to his mouth to indicate that they must be quiet, or pay the consequences. "Fury..." He hissed under his breath to the Protector of Slumber. "You take out the eastern and northern outlooks with the Staff of Nightmares. I believe they are Nimbus and Cumulus - be cautious. Let no one see you, and put them out of commission before they run off to tell their dear _princess _about our arrival."

With a stiff nod, the zombified Fury took off with the faintest ruffle of coal-black wings, eager to obey her master at whatever cost. Steel turned his ice-cold gaze onto a quivering Nikolai, and whispered, his voice still commanding no matter what volume, "I'll be taking out the western outlooks. Wait here until both Fury and I return, and then we will make our move. Do not make a single _sound_!" And, at that final command, Steel also vanished from sight, off to deal with Cirrus and Cumulus.

Nikolai was relieved; he wouldn't have to face the ones who had forced him into this miserable life of crime. However, he was anxious as he waited for Steel and Fury to return, not liking that he had been left alone with his hungry-looking crow, drifting silently in the velvet of the night sky, enveloped alone in silence. Hopefully, they were just knocking the Watchers out, nothing more severe than that...

* * *

Stratus squinted into the darkness, all of his senses on high alert - though dulled from lack of sleep. He hated night shifts, especially when he was forced to do them frequently. Ever since Steel had begun terrorizing Dreamland, his normally-scattered night shifts had become a nightly event, and not only was it difficult to see in the darkness of the night, he was extremely tired as well, having been working nearly all day and night. He was almost certain that scatter-brained Cirrus was probably napping over at his post already, too exhausted to complete his duty...

"Nothing but stars...the moon....and darkness..." The serious Watcher sighed, staring out across the purple nighttime clouds with heavy-lidded eyes. "And even if something were coming, there's no way I could see it when I'm this tired and it's this dark..." He let out a loud, weary yawn, oblivious to the silent flapping of crow's wings behind him.

"Funny you should say that, Stratus."

Stratus whirled around, eyes wide. His startled blue eyes clashed with Steel's narrowed, gleefully wicked cobalt, and he could see the Stone of Slumber embedded in Steel's scepter, glowing red with corruption. Stratus had no time to react, much less send out an alarm to his brothers or the princess. The iron-furred hamster's twisted, manicial grin was the last thing Stratus saw, and a deep, manic chuckle was the last that he heard before he felt a sharp pain in his head and everything went black, his Watcher's hat sent toppling off his head as one paw hung limply over the edge of his outlook platform.

"...because you're absolutely right."

* * *

Nikolai was relieved when Steel returned first, grinning from ear to ear. "That idiot Stratus didn't know what hit him, and Cumulus was out before he even caught a glimpse of me!" The iron-furred avenger boasted in a low tone, as his cold cobalt eyes scanned the horizon for Fury's triumphant return.

Nikolai, suddenly, was very nervous - even moreso than usual. "Y-you didn't _kill _them, did you, Master Steel?" He asked meekly.

Steel snorted. "They'll come to in about an hour. Long after the _festivities _have ended."

At that moment, Fury melted out of the darkness, seemingly from nowhere, nearly making Nikolai topple off of his jet-black steed from shock. "Watchers Stratus and Nimbus effectively asleep, Master Steel...they neither saw nor heard me approach. Task successful," Fury chanted in a listless monotone. The longer she was under his mind-control via the Stone of Slumber, the more zombie-like and easier to control she became...

Steel let go of the reigns for a moment to gleefully clap his wicked paws together. "_Excellent_..." He remarked, in as low a voice he could muster while still sounding frightfully pleased. "All is going according to our plan. On my way back here I took some aerial surveillance, and I noticed lights, tables, and numerous hamsters congregated in the rear courtyard of the castle. We will likely find Princess Hamorette there...so that is where we must strike."

His dreams of revenge so close he could almost feel them in his grasp, Steel faced the lighted, medieval metropolis that he had hated for so long now. With determination in his icy eyes and paw clenched over the glowing scepter that contained his horrific power, Steel turned his crow toward the beginning of his domination. His plans, all the dreams he had built up from that long-ago tragedy, would begin coming true with this one carefully executed plan, and one extremely powerful brainwashed hamster at his disposable.

"Weather forecast for Dreamland this evening..." Steel jested darkly, as his crow took off toward his goal, Fury and Nikolai not too far behind, the wind whipping by their fur so fast as they rocketed off they were almost blinded, though his powerful voice continued, resilient,

"...is a rain of _nightmares_!"

* * *

Sprint wasn't a liar. At least, he didn't consider what he was doing _lying_. He chose to say that he was keeping harmful information from getting _out_. Being secretive wasn't the same as lying, in his eyes, even if they were likely to have the same harmful effects.

Sprint was unable to forget the kindness Siren had shown him that afternoon, and had admitted to himself that she was a hamster he considered worth getting to know, by far. He, normally, thought that his life revolved around being a knight, playing fun pranks on unsuspecting victims, bothering Joy, and protecting Dreamland. And now, as sappy as it was and no matter how he was starting to hate himself for it, he was starting to see that this girlham business wasn't just a crock of hooey, as he has thought, and even he, cynical old Sprint, was capable of developing a crush on someham.

However, there were two dilemmas plaguing him, regarding these developing feelings, which consisted of:

1.) Screech, though he had been separated from his little sister for a long time, was overprotective and would likely not let Sprint, or any hamboy for that matter, near his precious little sister, being a typical big brother. Thus, unless Sprint desired to have his limbs ripped off, it was probably wise for him to keep his distance.

2.) Sprint's brother was Siren's previous mortal enemy, Spyke.

He was a bit more worried about dilemma #2.

He was interested in getting to know Siren, but wasn't altogether sure how she would react if he told her that his brother was the horrible (though reformed) villain who had terrorized her only a few weeks before. It wasn't as if he could keep that secret forever, if he wanted to form a friendship. Would she be repulsed? He hated to think so, but couldn't deny that it was a plausible theory...

The Dreamland knight sat wondering about these things at one of the circular tables, staring off with his vibrant eyes into far-off thoughts, and jumped slightly when a shy paw tapped him on the shoulder.

"Having fun?"

Siren stood there, waving her paw in a friendly manner of greeting, and she looked a bit nervous as well, though he was beginning to think that she was always like that. Startled, but nevertheless pleased to see her there, he managed to splutter, "H-Hamha, Siren!"

"Hamha. Princess Hamorette sure knows how to throw a party!" Siren commented, taking the vacant seat beside him as nonchalantly as she could. She had been looking for another opportunity to talk to Sprint, ever since they had parted ways after their tumultuous episode with Flo at the cafe; naturally, once she had seen that he was alone, she decided that the time had come for her to chat with him some more. He was pretty interesting, after all..definitely worth getting to know. Not that she would admit that to her friends...

Sprint grinned and nodded, trying to shake off the worries he had been thinking of. "Oh yeah! I always look forward to these things. I don't have to wear all my bulky armor at banquets and stuff!" He replied cheerfully, glad she had struck up a conversation with him. He was new to these kinds of things...but he was fairly sure that her approaching him was a good sign. At least he hoped it was. His heart was sure responding in a positive way.

A semi-awkward silence fell after that, dousing them in tension. Siren managed to keep looking around at things, her glances furtive and shifty, more evidence of overwhelming nerves. Sprint was wracking his brain for something to say that wouldn't sound idiotic, also incapable of meeting her gaze. They had gotten along so well that afternoon, but, now, it was as if they had never met; like she had never stood up for him at the cafe that afternoon. Or, something had changed between them in such a short amount of time that talking to each other had swiftly taken a whole new meaning, much different than the one before.

Sprint wasn't altogether sure what made him ask the next question. He had thought about it, but never imagined actually voicing it - especially not now, when he wasn't even sure where exactly they stood. But some kind of force, prompting from deep within, compelled him to tread a very thin line between secrets and disaster - nearly crossing the very line he had just been contemplating.

"We're....we're hammos, right Siren?"

Siren was startled by the question, and her eyes flickered back to Sprint. He was staring, almost forlornly, at the golden tablecloth, his crimson eyes a mixture of sadness and indecision. Somehow, his cheeks were faintly tinted red, and, as she caught on to that fact, she felt her own face heat up in return. Why had he just asked such a random question? And, more importantly, why did he look so...._bluhoo_?

Nerves fading somewhat, Siren replied in a chipper tone, trying to lighten whatever had dampened Sprint's mood, "Of course we're hammos. I mean, I like to think we are....why?"

Sprint finally turned to look at her, and his brilliant eyes clashed with her still grey orbs. The torn look haunting his vivid red irises took her by surprise and her heart practically sang with sympathy. She was about to open her mouth, to question him about his sudden change in mood, but he continued, his voice a mixture of severity, nerves, and some kind of hidden quality she couldn't quite detect. The very sound of it made her seize up, and a chill slithered up her spine.

"I...I think I have to tell you something."

* * *

Panda tried to enjoy the party, but, as it had been so often as of late, he couldn't help but let his worries overshadow any kind of fun he hoped to have, and found himself sitting alone at one of the circular tables, watching everyone else enjoy the night.

He simply couldn't see how the ham-hams could be so carefree when an epic battle with a powerful hamster loomed over them, like an ominous rain cloud, ready to begin a rain of nightmares. And, to top it off, he hadn't spoken to his surrogate little sister Siren since they arrived...she had been much too caught up with her _real_ brother. All of this combined to make him feel so very distant from his friends; separated from the entire ham-ham crew, by his seemingly endless sea of concerns.

And this bothered Cappy, who was one of Panda's hamigos, and couldn't help but notice when his friend was feeling down. "C'mon, Panda..." Sporting his new hat and a brilliant smile, Cappy attempted to drag Panda toward the dance floor by the arm. "Everyone's starting to dance! I think it would be lots of fun, don't you?"

Panda smiled faintly, gently tugging his arm away. A perpetual cloudy look remained in his eyes, giving him a haunted air and the appearance of being sad, rather than simply worried. "Actually, I think I'm going to just sit here and watch everyone else. I'm not feeling so _greatchu_..." He replied, voice completely unenthusiastic, propping his chin up with his paw.

Cappy tilted his head to the side, confused by Panda's somber mood. "You look so _bluhoo_, Panda!" The hatted-ham commented sorrowfully, hopping up to sit on the chair beside his best friend, his own brown eyes shining with unease. "Don't you think a little bit of food, fun, and friends would cheer you up even a little bit? You've looked upset since we got here!"

Panda tried his best to smile, but the result was half-hearted. Seeing Cappy's troubled face, Panda felt a sudden surge of guilt for worrying his friends with his anxiousness. The last thing he wanted to do was drag them down, even if he did think they should be taking this mission to Dreamland a little more seriously. It seemed to him like Cappy wouldn't leave him be without a proper answer, so the panda-marked ham replied honestly, "It's just...I don't see how everyone can _minglie _while we have an important task at paw! Right now, as we speak, sleeping hamsters are being terrorized by that nightmare of Steel's, and we're having a party. It just...doesn't seem right."

Cappy absorbed this thoughtfully, scratching at his left ear. "But Panda..." He rebutted, the shine in his warm eyes returning, as if all of . "It's not that we don't realize how _gasp-P_ this whole nightmare thing is, but there's nothing better to take your mind off a bad dream than to have a party and enjoy time with your hammos! Besides, Princess Hamorette said that there wasn't anything we could do about Steel right now. So we should have some fun while we can, and spend time with hammos old and new!"

"She also said he was really dangerous!" Panda pointed out, still not appeased; not ready to relax. "And from what happened at Hamwall, we know that bad hamsters like this Steel guy are capable of striking at any minute! He could crash this party right now, and we would be completely unprepared!"

Cappy sighed, his happiness deflating slightly. "That's true, I guess..." He eyed the dance floor eagerly, where several of the ham-hams were having fun synchronizing their dance moves. No matter what Panda said, he just couldn't resist the urge he had to enjoy every second of time they would have to spend in Dreamland before they would have to face Steel. If Panda spent all this time worrying, their brief vacation in Dreamland would be over before he had time to revel in all of it's spectacular wonders! He hated to see his hamigo feeling in such a way...

It wasn't that Panda liked to be a killjoy; he was just the kind of hamster who couldn't truly be at ease unless he knew danger had passed or was definitely not a threat. And, so long as Steel remained a horrific vision in the minds of slumbering hams, he would not be able to enjoy Dreamland to his liking - even hat-shopping that afternoon hadn't been as fun, since he knew the battle that lay ahead was fast-approaching, putting any future fun in jeopardy. Maybe, when all of this was over, he could go sightseeing with Siren and Cappy...if Siren wasn't caught up reminiscing with Screech, anyway.

"C'mon, Panda.." Cappy coaxed once more, hopping down from the chair and gazing up at his hamigo imploringly. "At least try and _minglie_! We're all worried about Steel, but now's the time to have fun! Look around at all the other hams!" He began to point to various ham-hams. "Sandy's twirling her ribbons...Stan's playing his maracas with the band...Dexter and Howdy are fighting with each other, but it looks like they're having fun...Pashmina and Penelope are dancing...Oxy's eating some of those delicious cupcakes...Siren's talking with that Sprint guy..."

"It's not that I don't want to have fun, it's just that - wait, did you say Siren's talking to _Sprint_?!" Immediately, as that strange news registered, Panda sat bolt upright and began to scan the crowd with wide, surprised eyes. After a moment, his gaze settled on the unlikely pair, sitting at a table across the way, chatting amicably. Even from this distance, he could tell that both of their cheeks were glowing red as they paused to laugh together, at some unheard joke.

"Hey, Panda dude! I see you noticed our little hamette Siren schmoozing with that Sprint dude, huh?"

Stan, having taken a break from accompanying the string quintet on his maracas, sidled up to stand beside Cappy. With a jovial chortle, he remarked jokingly, not seeing the danger of the situation that Panda obviously was, "I think she'd be better off with the Stan-man, personally, but it looks like she's having a fine time with Sprint, so I guess I won't steal her from him. He's a pretty cool dude, as far as those Dark Lander guys go, anyways..."

That was the fact that Panda could not ignore about this sudden turn of events - Sprint was a Dark Lander. And yes, he seemed like a nice ham and had earned an esteemed position as a knight, but those crimson eyes...they were remarkably like Spyke's. Far too familiar for Panda, his surrogate big-brother instincts kicking in, to accept the way they were currently looking at Siren...so...strangely warm and happy. That looked unusual in such evil-tinted eyes...And why did Siren look so happy, too?

"Yep-P..." Stan gave one maraca a shake, eying the couple with a smug smile. "That's a love-connection brewing over there. My eyes don't lie, hams. Just call me Dr. Smoochie!" He struck a pose, and Cappy knew that if Sandy were here, he would wind up with a ribbon tied around his tail and a bump on his head from her fist.

"What?!" Panda practically screeched, surprising both Stan and Cappy, as he stood up on his chair for a better look, completely bewildered. "You think she actually _likes _him?!" The very idea was preposterous to him. "_She's too young for that stuff!_" He thought incredulously, narrowing his eyes with sudden vehemence toward the red-eyed Dreamland knight.

Stan looked up to Pandy slyly, leaning a casual elbow on the table. "_Jealous_ are we, my panda-spotted hammo?" He asked airily, crossing his arms over his chest, the same smug smile on his face.

Panda glared down at Stan, in a fashion very uncharacteristic of his placid nature. "Of course not!" He replied, quickly glancing back at an oblivious Sprint and Siren, as to make sure there was an appropriate distance between their paws. "Our friendship isn't like that at all - Siren's like a little sister to me! I just want to make sure she's...you know...safe! We don't really know this Sprint guy very much! For all we know, he could be a close friend of Spyke's!"

"I don't think Spyke had friends, dude," Stan pointed out. "He was a few smiles short of a nice ham, if you know what I mean...at least Sprint isn't like, trying to take over the world. So chill, Pandude! Let the girl have some fun! I was a bit upset when Sandy starting chillin' with Maxy, but that turned out fine...well, except for the fact they're in a bit of a spat right now..."

"Yeah, and Sprint's really nice!" Cappy chimed in, adjusting his new hat. "I think it's cool if Siren wants to be friends with him! He seems like he'd be a really good hammo!"

Panda stared at them, mouth agape. Could they _not _see the dangers of the situation at paw? Even if Sprint _weren't _a Dark Lander, the idea of he and Siren 'schmoozing,' as Stan called it, was absolutely...just...plain _weird_, was what it was! Instinctively, the overprotective, big-brother attitude within Panda began to flare, and he hopped down off the chair with a defiant look on his face and a determined gleam in his eye. He didn't trust the way Sprint was looking at Siren, and his first instinct was, of course, to protect his hammo.

Panda marched off across the dance floor, where many of the ham-hams were dancing at this point, with a confused Cappy and Stan left behind to exchange a look of both puzzlement and mild curiosity. Panda paid their quizzical expressions no heed, and kept his eyes on the oblivious couple at the table that was rapidly drawing nearer, so, he was surprised when he bumped somewhat roughly into another hamster, coming from the diagonal direction, and both fell to the ground on their tails with separate 'oomph!'s' escaping their lips.

Rubbing his head, a startled Panda looked over to see it had been none other than Screech who he had bumped into. Siren's real brother was massaging his arm with a bit of a grimace, but smiled apologetically once he met Panda's eye. "_Oopsie_, Panda!" He bowed his head sheepishly, getting to his feet before leaning down, offering to help Panda up with a friendly gesture of his paw. "I didn't even see you coming toward me!"

Panda accepted his paw a bit apprehensively, but let Screech pull him to his feet in one fluid motion. Grinning faintly, Panda scratched the back of his head and remarked, finding it incredibly hard to make conversation with the real brother of the ham he thought of as a sister, "_Oopsie_, Screech. I wasn't really watching out, either."

Screech's eyes flitted to the left, and his mouth witched downward, as if he were eager to head for his destination again, but he didn't want to seem rude by abruptly leaving. Panda looked over to see where Screech's gaze rested, only to see that the knight had been staring intently at the cozy pair of Siren and Sprint, just as Panda had been. Panda's eyes widened with surprise. Could it be that they had been marching across the dance floor with the same purpose in mind?

"_Is he worried about Siren, too?_ _He is her _real _brother, after all..._"

Screech looked back to Panda with a half-smile, a fire in his eyes. "I was just on my way to gossip-P a little with Siren, so we could catch up some more..." He explained, though Panda could tell he had other motives in mind. As if on cue, a cloud passed over Screech's features, and he glanced darkly at the happily chatting Sprint and Siren yet again. "Although, it looks like she's having fun talking with my hamigo, over there. A little _too much_ fun, if you ask me..."He murmured under his breath.

Panda was startled to find that he and Screech had this feeling of protectiveness in common, but was also relieved. So, he _wasn't _the only one completely baffled by the blooming friendship between Siren and the Dark Lander. Panda hadn't planned on trying to get to know Screech too much during his stay in Dreamland, but now he was beginning to see differently, since they both had the best interest of Siren in mind. Maybe he and Screech could find some common ground here, and work together...

"Do you mind if I tag along? I'm a little worried about the pair of them talking so _happily_..." Panda spoke up, the underlying proposition of a hamteam clearly detected by a suddenly intrigued Screech, who looked back to Panda in surprise.

"You too?" He asked, with a half-smile, eyes losing a bit of their determined flame for a moment while he struck up comradery with the panda-marked ham-ham. "Siren _did _mention to me earlier that you were a good hammo of hers...she said you were just like a brother to her, and helped her adjust to her new life with the ham-hams!" He scratched behind his head, chortling a little. "To be honest, I was a bit jealous when she said that! I promised her I'd always be there for her, but I haven't been there for a long time..."

Panda, for a moment, forgot about his resolution to infiltrate upon Sprint and Siren's conversation, and peered at Screech curiously. The knight looked extremely genuine, unable to meet Panda's gaze, instead choosing to look at the lush grass beneath their paws. Was...was Screech seriously _jealous _of him? That idea was ridiculous! At least he and Siren were actually related, and, now that he was back in the picture, Panda had assumed that his forged kinship with Siren would become a forgotten bond, just a regular, plain old friendship, rather than the sibling-like bond they had enjoyed ever since she had arrived to their group. But if she had mentioned him to Screech...maybe....

Suddenly, Screech looked straight into Panda's eyes and smiled. "But, I want to thank-Q, Panda, for being there for Siren when I couldn't be. I'm glad she found a great hammo in you!"

In that moment, all the jealousy and sorrow Panda had felt over being overshadowed melted away, and he smiled broadly at Screech in return, and they shook paws enthusiastically, the gesture of a fledgling friendship. "It was nothing. I'm glad she was able to find you again, Screech!" Panda returned the sentiments, now in a much better mood, although worry still shone in his eyes and fear pules in his heart. At least one issue plaguing him had been resolved...

Screech eyed Sprint and Siren out of the corner of his eye, and then turned back to Panda with a mischievous smile on his face, but a serious glint in his eye. "So, Panda...you think we should go interrupt them?" He jerked his thumb in the direction of his little sister and best friend, winking at his new partner in crime.

Panda smirked, glad they had found something in common, and reached an understanding. With a similar impish gleam in his eye, he agreed, "_Let's_!"

* * *

"Pashmina wants to dance with _me_, Howdy!"

"She'd never dance with the likes of _you_, Dex! You're so bad at dancin', it never _rains_! Get it? _Rain_-dancin'? Har har, I'm _hilarious_!"

Dexter scoffed at that, adjusting his brand new top hat with a sophisticated flip of his paw. "Your jokes keep getting worse and worse, you country bumpkin! It's no wonder Pashmina hasn't danced with you all night!"

Howdy crossed his arms over his chest, snorting. "_Please_! She hasn't danced with you _neither_, Dex!"

"She has so! We danced for one song earlier tonight!"

"It only counts if she knows you were dancin' with her, smarty-ham! You were just dancin' _next_ to her; she didn't have no clue!"

"Why, you ignoramus - !"

"You high-and-mighty smarty-paws -!"

Pashmina sighed, shifting uncomfortably in her chair at one of the circular tables, Penelope right next to her, giggling at the hamspars. Howdy and Dexter had been sparring all night, and Pashmina was beginning to grow weary of it - normally, she was good at ignoring it, but they seemed to be fighting more intensely on this foray to Dreamland. Perhaps the high altitude had made them irritable.

Though, despite their constant arguing always in her ear, she had found the banquet quite enjoyable thus far. The music set the mood, dancing had been fun, and she had enjoyed laughs and good times with her friends, old and new both. Screech had apologized to Hamorette and returned to his station, Sandy seemed to be doing better in the wake of her disagreement with Maxwell, Bijou had forgiven Hamtaro, and the pair had even danced together.

Content, Pashmina gazed up from the lighted courtyard to the glimmering skies above, the moon shining like a safe haven in the inky blackness of night. The night sky was so clear, and the stars appeared to be shining even closer than usual now that her vantage point was Dreamland, as opposed to June's bedroom window. It was as if she could reach one paw out, toward those distant specks of light, and draw one down from the heavens to have as her own. Sighing, she turned to the blanketed ham beside her, Howdy and Dexter's bickering just a hum in her ears, and proclaimed, "Don't the stars look _dazzlie _tonight, Penelope?"

Penelope giggled happily. "Ookwee! Ookwee!" She looked up at the skies as well, her eyes agleam.

Pashmina smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment, but when she opened them again to look at Penelope she saw that the little ham-ham's eyes had grown wide and troubled, and she had hopped up on her chair and was pointing one paw toward the starlit sky frantically, exclaiming as she jumped up and down, "Ookwee! Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Startled by her hamigo's sudden change in demeanor, Pashmina quickly turned her eyes back to the sky. She scanned them, trying hard to see what had made Penelope hysterical, and she eventually caught sight of two faintly glowing spots of pulsing crimson light, hurtling toward them at a rapid pace, unwavering in their course. Pashmina knew very little about astronomy, but was aware that stars did not often shine red, nor move quite that fast. The fur on the back of her neck stood straight up, and she wondered aloud, a stammer in her voice and an ominous feeling settling over her,

"W-what could that be?"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Reliance on the Watchers had, over time, made the inner-defenses of Dreamland a little bit careless, as they assumed that if trouble were coming, Nimbus, Stratus, Cumulus, and Cirrus would come running to warn them, and they would have at least some time to prepare for whatever danger was approaching. Surprise attacks were often forgotten when threats to Dreamland came into consideration, so if anyham decided to crash the party, Dreamland's forces would be wholly unprepared while their attacker struck. And, their current attacker knew that was one of Dreamland's major flaws- and he knew exactly how to exploit it.

Pashmina was merely the first to notice the crimson lights, but gradually, they garnered more attention as they drew closer at a swift, unyielding speed. Howdy and Dexter had stopped feuding to peer at the anomaly with squinted eyes, Maxwell had also stood up on his chair, eyes wide, Sandy had stopped twirling her ribbon, Stan had dropped his maracas, and Hamtaro had scrambled up onto the food table for a closer look, remarking with a bit of a tremor to his voice,

"Something's coming this way!"

Screech and Panda hadn't made their way to Siren and Sprint's table yet, but all plans were forgotten once everyone noticed the incoming lights in the sky. Sprint and Screech, knight instincts kicking in and senses alert, darted to stand by Princess Hamorette, who had also resorted to standing on her throne-like chair, peering intensely toward whatever it was that was currently speeding toward them like blood-colored shooting stars. Joy, too, was intrigued by this event and scurried over to stand by the knights, tilting her head toward the sky, confused. Soon, everyone, even the string quintet, had stopped whatever they had been doing to gaze in wonder at spectacle, unsure of what it possibly could be.

Only when it drew close enough did Hamorette realize the true horror.

As the lights came closer, headed directly toward their little party, they illuminated the outlines of three crows, flying on fast, silent wings, and the faces of three hamsters riding the black, ominous birds of torment. And the faces, each softly lighted with the red from two beaming points, were all very familiar, but the one that stood out the most in Hamorette's wide jade eyes was the hamster riding the lead crow, as he was the most menacing and the one most capable of affecting her. Despite the crimson gleam making his face appear red, she could recognize the cruel smirk on his face and that vengeful gleam in his eyes any day. Those eyes were unmistakable, as they zeroed in on her, and the rest of his features became clear, and she recognized the Stone of Slumber emitting the crimson light from the scepter clenched in his paw. As their eyes met across the narrowing distance between them, Steel's wicked grin grew wider, and Hamorette's terror heightened, as she realized what her enemy was about to do.

Screech's eyes had focused elsewhere, for on the crow behind Steel was the clear visage of Fury, her dulled grey eyes hauntingly lifeless in the red glow radiating from her Staff of Nightmares. A thrilled flutter brushed his heart upon seeing her again, seemingly unharmed, but he could realize, even at a distance, that something wasn't right about that red glow, and the frosty hollowness in her normally cheerful grey eyes...

"Is that....?" Hamtaro wondered aloud, warm brown eyes squinting, but, before he could articulate a clear thought, the villains were upon them with a flash of black feathers.

The three crows landed abruptly with feral caws resonating from their beaks, the wind from their large wings sending a few of the ham-hams toppling to their feet and ruffling their fur. Those who had not yet recognized Steel immediately did once he disembarked proudly from his crow, flanked by Fury and Nikolai, holding the scepter with the Stone of Slumber out in front of him like a sword, looking every bit as menacing as he did in the nightmares he had induced. And as the ham-hams, their fun interrupted, struggled to find the words to voice their surprise, a defiantly smirking Steel remarked with a malicious edge in his tone,

"Sorry we're late for the festivities! But you'll find out soon enough that the party's _just begun_!"

* * *

**CFB:** STEEL'S BACK!!!! *_hides under covers_* Haha, in the middle of this chapter I began to randomly belt out, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" (which I don't own) since it felt kind of appropriate, and my window was open so the neighbor kids think I'm nuts. Ah....whatever.

**Next time: **Steel, Fury, and Nikolai enact their plans! Will Steel be able to topple dozens of knights, almost single-pawed? The ham-hams try and stop him, but will they come up with a good enough plan? Hamtaro's hero persona begins to make itself known, but others falter. Nikolai tries to abduct Hamorette...will he succeed? And Screech comes face to face with his true love, but will she even recognize him in her brainwashed-state? It's Nightmares vs. Dreamland, Round #1, next chapter! Who will gain the upper-paw?

Review please!


	12. Cloud Town Showdown!

**CFB:** Chapter Eleven....I'm so sorry this is late! I had this written eons ago, but...there were a lot of last minute edits to be done, and I wanted it to be satisfactory before I posted it. However, I'll let you readers be the judge of whether or not it's satisfactory.

I mapped out the remaining chapters with what little spare time I had this week. After this chapter, there are (tentatively) eight more chapters, plus an epilogue. That is subject to change, but if it does, it will only be to a _lesser _number. So we are more than halfway through! Yay!

**This time:** Steel attacks Dreamland with his nightmarish powers! Will he manage to defeat dozens of Dreamland knights? Can the ham-hams, Hamtaro at the helm, defeat him? Screech comes face to face with Fury for the first time since her abduction! Can love transcend Steel's power over her? And Nikolai tries to hamnap Hamorette! Will he get over his nerves, see the error of his ways, or continue carrying out Steel's orders? It's a showdown in the courtyard!

This chapter is dedicated to a **CD I made with a bunch of different soundtracks on it called FIGHT MUSIC **which greatly inspired the writing of this chapter. Thank you, CD. And iTunes. Which I don't own.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

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**Chapter 11**: _Cloud Town Showdown!_

"Steel!"

Hamorette was the first to actually voice the name that was ringing in the heads of every ham. Standing firm by her throne, the royal stared rigidly across the courtyard, her jade green eyes boring into the frigid azure of Steel's. He grinned malevolently, vengeance so close he could taste it's sweetness.

"Princess Hamorette..." He remarked, voice both disdainful and mockingly appraising. "Why, it's been a while! You always send your little hench-hams out to do your dirty work...so I thought I'd drop by with some friends of mine! We needed a meeting face to face!" Antipathy radiating from him, Steel pointed the tip of his scepter toward the Princess, who managed to refrain from flinching.

The ham-hams had congregated in the center of the makeshift dance floor, still taken aback by Steel's sudden appearance. Hamtaro, Boss, Stan, and Panda were standing at the front of the huddled group, serving as the main line of protection. Hamtaro and Boss looked bravely defiant as they faced the real-life form of the ham from their nightmares, but Stan's knees were a little shaky and Panda was fighting the almost irresistible urge to say, "_I told you so!"_ The string quintet had taken refuge under the food table, absolutely terrified. Joy scurried away discreetly to give orders to the waiting knights encircling the area, while Screech and Sprint drew their swords from the sheaths at their sides and took a few wary steps forward, toward their enemy, though Screech's eyes never left Fury's measured face, hunting for some sign of recognition in her lifeless grey eyes. Something was definitely amiss...

Pashmina looked from Steel to Fury with worried eyes, but her gaze eventually settled on the third hamster; the tiny one with the shaggy tan fur and watery hazel eyes. He kept looking around nervously, seemingly trembling, though it was hard to tell at a distance, and fidgeting with what looked like a coil of rope in his paws. Instantly, she recognized him as the hamster in the picture at Uncle C's shop; this was Nikolai, their missing fifth son!

"Panda, Oxnard, Howdy, Dexter, Cappy, Penelope!" The scarved ham-ham hissed, beckoning with her paw, her companions from the hat shop adventure earlier that day leaning in to hear her better. "Look over there, behind Steel and Fury! That's Nikolai, Skyla and Uncle C's son! The one who left Dreamland to follow Steel!"

The others turned their gaze to the nervous little hamster, and a collective gasp rippled through them as recognition dawned on their faces. "You're right, Pashmina!" Panda confirmed with a grim nod of his head, clouded eyes solemn. "And it looks like what they said is true; he really_ is_ following Steel of his own free will!"

"But we made a promise, guys!" Oxnard added worriedly, tucking his lucky seed behind one ear. "We have to find some way to get him to go back home! I don't want to let Uncle C and Skyla down, they gave us such delicious cookies!"

"But..." Cappy murmured sadly, ears drooping. "If he's following Steel willingly...how are we going to convince him to come back?"

For that, none of his hammos had an answer.

"Coming here was a mistake, Steel! You are fiercely outnumbered!" Hamorette's voice remained calm and collected, though internally, she wasn't so sure of her own words. The Stone of Slumber in Steel's paw was glowing red...a sure sign that it had been corrupted by his wicked paws. Fury's Staff of Nightmares was also emanating a sense of pure evil, and those two things coupled together, against Dreamland's forces...pure, absolute chaos. He had grown stronger far quicker than she had originally anticipated, leaving them minimal preparation time. Clearly, he was capable of much more than she had given him credit for...this was far worse than she could have ever imagined.

"Numbers mean little, so long as nightmares are concerned!" Steel taunted, giving his scepter a twirl and chuckling manically. "Isn't that correct, _Fury_?" He turned imploringly to his brainwashed companion, knowing that by calling attention to her current condition, he would unnerve not only Hamorette, but Joy and that blue-eyed knight, Screech, as well.

She nodded her head slowly and replied voice dull, "Yes, Master Steel. That is correct."

A collective gasp rippled through the ham-hams, and numerous looks of confusion were exchanged. They had at_ last_ encountered Fury; the ham of Screech's dreams, whom he had been so eager to rescue. But all they could gather of her so far was plain awful; she was clearly in cahoots with Steel, as her Staff of Nightmares shone symmetrically with his scepter. Despite her position next to Steel, they could also sense that something was wrong with the faded look in her eyes and her expressionless face...this could _not_ be the Fury that Screech and Joy spoke glowingly about. Steel had to have done something to her to make her follow in his pawsteps. But there was something about her that was oddly familiar....as if they'd seen her somewhere before...

"Something's clearly wrong here!" Dexter hissed to the others, eyes narrowed, though he was clearly unnerved by Steel's sudden appearance. "That Fury doesn't look _right_, exactly."

Maxwell nodded in agreement, face grave. "Something's definitely wrong with her. She looks to be under some kind of hypnosis, or mind-control, maybe along the lines of brainwashing. Who knows what that Steel hamster is capable of with the Stone of Slumber? The princess said it had a great many powers..."

"Brainwashing? This is startin' ter sound like them sci-fi movies my owner likes watchin' so darn much..." Howdy remarked skeptically, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, but this is like, real life hamdudes!" Stan muttered, knees quivering as he shakily stared from Fury to Steel and back again, wondering which one he would have to avoid more if this confrontation became violent. "Sci-fi nothing, this is _horror_!"

Screech was rattled by Fury's monotonous reply to Steel. All of the friendly vitality, the vigorous kindness of her voice, was absent, leaving a hollow, cold shell of the hamgirl he knew so well. Where had her light gone? "_Master_?" He questioned aloud, incredulous, though he had intended it to stay in his head. What had this diabolical villain done to his girlham?

Boss, as he glared furiously at Steel, abruptly came up with an idea and his face brightened with enlightenment. They had to stop Steel; and _fast_, before the dark ham had a chance to strike first! "Listen up, ham-hams!" He whispered, craning his neck to speak to the huddled mass of ham-hams behind him. Mischievous gleam in his kindly eyes, Boss continued, as the rest of the ham-hams gathered tighter together and listened carefully, eyes attentive and ears perked forward, while still trying to be inconspicuous,

"I have a plan..."

Hamorette's jade eyes narrowed, though her paws were trembling. How had things come so quickly to this extreme end? "Steel...you _will _be defeated!" She fleetingly glanced to the ham-hams, wondering when they would let their heroism be known, as the time to defend Dreamland had come upon them. It was unexpected, but she could see them hastily whispering back and forth with one another, seemingly concocting a plan while they stood in the center of the dance floor. Quickly returning her gaze to her nemesis, Hamorette continued bravely, stalling to let her reinforcements prepare their plot, "The Stone of Slumber shall return to rightful paws!"

"And Fury as well!" Screech spoke up loudly, pointing the tip of his sword toward Steel, his blue eyes icy and determined. How he wished for a chance to duel Steel....

Steel chuckled harshly, turning his cobalt eyes onto Screech, clearly not regarding the Dreamland knight as a threat. "Such courageous words...it really _is_ too bad they'll be in vain. You see, little knight, thanks to the Stone of Slumber, Fury belongs to _me_ now...Not even true love can conquer _my_ control over her!" Instantly, both the Staff of Nightmares and Stone of Slumber began to glow brighter, the crimson light momentarily blinding, a sense of true malevolence coming from the haunted crimson glow.

Screech's eyes widened, and he stared once again toward Fury, praying that she would somehow come to her senses, proving Steel's words wrong. But nothing happened; she remained loyally beside Steel, staff in paw, showing no signs of wanting to escape the evil ham. Screech refused to believe that she had forgotten him, brainwashing or not. "It's not possible..." He murmured under his breath, momentarily lowering his sword and walking steadily toward Fury, as the rest of the observers, save the silently plotting ham-hams, looked on. There was absolutely no way Fury could forget about him, and all of their memories together.

He stood a few inches from her, cautious and wary, but eager to see her back to her old self, staring into her listless grey eyes with his imploring blue, waiting for some gleam of recognition to drift across her face. She had to remember him; after all they'd been through, there was no way she could have thrown that away, brainwashed or not. Hamorette and Sprint watched nervously as Screech placed a paw over his heart and said softly, almost begging, trying to reach the closed off part of Fury's mind; the part that recalled their deep, meaningful bond,

"Fury, it's _me_. Screech. Don't you...don't you recognize me?"

Fury stared right at Screech, her grey eyes unchanging. A pause settled, thick and tense. She took a slow step forward, so she and Screech were almost nose to nose, though her face remained emotionless. Close enough that Screech could smell the familiar scent of her fur, and feel familiar butterflies in his stomach, as his heart raced with wild hope.

_Thwack!_

Screech flew backward, the Staff of Nightmares having struck him in the chin with enough force to make him airborne. Hamorette, Sprint, Joy, the ham-hams, and even little Nikolai gasped collectively as the knight landed back on the grass with a dull thud, the wind knocked from him, and a gash leaking a small amount of blood standing out against the white fur of his chin. Sitting up with a grunt, Screech stared at his brainwashed girlham with incredulous blue eyes, seeing that she had lowered herself into an attack stance, growling and glaring at him with her staff outstretched, and he stammered,

"..F...Fury..."

"She...she didn't recognize him!" Pashmina exclaimed, paws flying to her face, eyes wide. "Oh no, this can't be good! Steel really is controlling her!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" A quivering Penelope piped up, cowering behind her big sister.

"Get ready, ham-hams..." Boss grunted, eyes narrowed and paws balled into fists. It was almost time to launch their hastily thrown together plan, and he wanted to make sure it was a successful plot...all they had to do was be certain that Steel didn't catch sight of one ham-ham in particular, who was hiding huddled at the back of the group, hidden from view, waiting for the signal to be given...

Steel's raucous laughter filled the courtyard, echoing off the stone of the castle and sending chills up the ham-hams spines. "You know what they say, Screech..." Steel sneered, baring his teeth into a twisted, menacing smile. "Love h_urts_. Though, after tonight, one may say that love _kills_."

He turned his cold, calculating eyes onto the ham-hams, as if noticing them for the first time. He didn't recognize them as locals of Dreamland, and, judging by their attire, assumed that they were the 'heroes' that Hamorette had sent for. He managed to quell a snort of incredulity. They looked like ordinary hamsters - no more than the average citizen ham, strolling down the street. _They _were the ones that were supposed to stop him in his quest for power? Laughable! They didn't even have swords!

"And what do we have here?" Steel questioned, running his tongue across his lips as he eyed each ham-ham individually, cobalt orbs daring them to try and stop him. "_More_ victims?"

"Victims? Hardly!" Maxwell spoke up bravely, though he remained standing behind the protective front of Stan, Panda, Boss, and Hamtaro, book tucked safely under one arm. He may not have been exactly eager to read it at the party, given his predicament with Sandy, but he still didn't want to see his book destroyed by a rogue attack from Steel.

"Yeah!" Hamtaro, chest puffed out, added his contribution. A determined gleam began to glow resolutely in his warm brown eyes, and his paws formed fists at his sides; the heroic persona from the Chamber of Peaceful Rest taking shape again, making his heart churn with brewing courage. "We're the ones who are going to bring you down, Steel, and make sleep safe for ham-hams all over the world!"

"My, such threatening words from such...pathetic looking hams!" Steel laughed again, hoping to get on the ham-hams' nerves. "Do you _honestly _expect to defeat me, when I have the power to control _sleep_? Hamorette, you may want to get a refund...you really aren't getting your money's worth of heroism if _this _is all you could get."

"Don't be like, fooled by how we look!" Sandy rebuffed, offended by Steel's insinuation, wondering how she could use her gymnastics ribbon as a weapon.

"Big zings come in zmall packages!" Bijou courageously chimed, disliking Steel more and more with each passing moment. Hamtaro cast a quick glance at her, impressed that she had stood up to the iron-furred villain. It was a sharp contrast to how she had reacted to Spyke, no more than a few weeks ago, when he had hamnapped her and imprisoned her in a tower. Back at Hamwall, he had never seen her more terrified, but now, after some kind of stunning transformation, here she was, defiantly staring down the face of danger with a very determined expression unlike any he had seen before.

"_Bijou...?_"

"These hamsters are capable of much more than you think, Steel!" Hamorette interjected sharply, jade eyes frosted as she tried in vain to control her trembling paws and thudding heart. "They have brought about the end of an evil hamster before, and they shall do the same to you! Mark my words; they will show you what it truly means to be powerful!"

Steel scoffed, twirling his scepter nonchalantly, as if the very idea bored him. Faking a yawn, he remarked dully, arching a brow, "Oh really? And _how_ exactly are they going to show me that?"

That was the moment the ham-hams had been waiting for. Boss, standing in front of his hammos, allowed a small smirk to spread across his face and a glint of mischief to enter his eyes. In answer to Steel's question, the gruff field-ham reared back and hollered, letting his voice ring out as a resonant signal, "Like this!"

From behind the congregated ham-hams, a brilliant white light shone, almost blinding, and Steel had to shield his eyes with a dissatisfied grunt. He squinted to see what those pathetic ham-hams had hidden behind their backs, but he could see nothing as the light faded - just their smirking faces, taunting him. Irked, and ready for this battle to be underway, Steel prepared to silence them with one powerful swish of the Stone of Slumber, which would put them to sleep in an instant. However, before he could ready an attack, a wolfish beast, sporting two raven wings, a flowing, ribbon-esque tail, and glacial blue eyes, leapt out from behind the ham-hams and lunged for Steel, barely skimming the grass, jaws outstretched, showing off pointed, salivating fangs, and claws extended.

"Meet our secret weapon!" Panda called out teasingly, sure that the tables were about to turn in their favor. "_Siren_!"

Not even an arch-villain like Steel could have prepared for the Guardian from the old Hamwallian legends to come leaping out at him, looking ready to tear out his throat. As the beast hurtled toward him on silent wings, frigid eyes focused on their target, Steel uttered a stunned, "What the - ?" completely caught of guard - Nikolai squealed in terror behind him, though Fury remained shock-still, oblivious to the danger. For a split second, Steel imagined that his surprise attack would be over before it even started. But _only _for a split second.

He managed to compose himself rather swiftly, though the Guardian was close enough that he could feel the wind from it's wings ruffling is fur, and he raised his scepter in defense. The Guardian's feral face was mere inches from his, jaws opened wide to reveal perfect rows of dripping fangs, as the Stone of Slumber began to glow brighter...

And the Guardian fell.

The ham-hams, as well as the Dreamlanders, were horrified as they watched the great beast freeze in midair, then land with a dull thud on the courtyard grass, limp at Steel's feet. At first, they were afraid that it had been killed somehow - just as it had been at Hamwall weeks before, before being resurrected to defeat the tyrannical Spyke. However, as it let out an almost comical snort of a snore, they realized that the beast had not been slain; it had been put to sleep by the chilling power of the Stone of Slumber, proving that even mythical creatures were not exempt from Steel's strength. Though his face was partially obscured by one of the Guardian's fallen wings, the stunned hamsters could see Steel's undeniably malevolent smirk spreading across his face. Sprint, worried for his new hammo, hoped that Siren, her mind peacefully asleep, was alright, his heart racing as he made sure the Guardian's chest was rising and falling.

Voice taunting, striking the numbed senses of the ham-hams and Dreamlanders with a vicious force, Steel questioned mockingly, crossing his arms over his chest, "Is _that_ all you got?"

The ham-hams exchanged terrified looks. Their plan had been foiled, and the Guardian remained slumbering peacefully, nothing but an endless, black abyss behind its closed eyelids, completely oblivious to the surrounding danger. The Guardian had likely been one of their best shots getting to Steel before he had a chance to utilize his true power, but he had taken Siren's beastly form out with just one swish of a scepter. Instantly, the hope that had been pounding defiantly in their hearts began to fade into fear. How could they defeat Steel without the help of the Guardian, who had been with them when they had faced Spyke?

Hamorette's face fell, though she quickly recovered her cool demeanor, not wanting to appear distraught in front of those who looked to her for strength. Her hopes had risen wildly when the Guardian had appeared, as she had been sure Steel would not have been able to counter an attack from it, but they had careened back down as she had watched it fall uselessly to the grass, defeated by the powerful lull of sleep. Not willing to give all up for lost, Hamorette raised one trembling paw into the air, a signal Joy had been waiting patiently for.

"You shan't prevail, Steel!" She announced, bringing her paw down with a swinging motion.

Joy's reaction was in perfect symbiosis with Hamorette's signal. Turning to the legion of loyal knights that had been guarding the party scene, Joy declared defiantly, amber eyes seeking war and nothing less, "Attack, Dreamland knights, and defend all of Dreamland!"

With various battle cries of numerous different pitches, the armor-clad knights abandoned their stations, forming a large, coal-black mass, running for Steel, a mortified Nikolai, and Fury with their swords drawn. The ham-hams watched appreciatively, standing back to allow the knights to dart by, admiring how swiftly and simultaneously the knights moved toward their enemy. Sprint and Screech joined the throng, standing out against their pitch black comrades. But, even as they approached, swords gleaming menacingly in the lights hanging above, Steel stood his ground perfectly, not a trace of fear in his deep blue eyes as he raised the scepter high above his head.

"It will take more than a few dozen knights to break though _this_ Steel!"

The fur on the back of the ham-hams' necks began to bristle, and an ominous feeling settled as the Stone of Slumber began to glow brilliantly again, piercing the night sky with crimson light. Maxwell, sensing what was about to happen, bellowed, his voice almost drowned out by the clanging of the knights' armor, "Don't look at the Stone, hams! If you look at it, it will put you to sleep!"

Nearly all of the ham-hams, as well as the Dreamlanders, managed to avert their gazes in time, some even ducking, or turning away completely. But poor, unfortunate Oxnard did not hear Maxwell's cry over the clamor of the knights, and turned his innocent grey eyes directly toward the luminous ruby-red Stone of Slumber. His eyes glazed over for a split second, his thoughts dimming. And then, with a mumble of, "Wake me in an hour, mommy..." Oxnard swayed woozily on the spot, and toppled over onto the grass, letting out a gargantuan snore.

"Oxy!" Hamtaro yelled, realizing that his friend had been hit. "No!"

Oxnard was not the only one felled by the Stone. Screech and Sprint had enough sense to veer off from their armor-clad comrades, seeking cover under two of the abandoned round tables, but the other knights were not so lucky. As the crimson lights spilled over them, seeping into the slits of their helmets and reaching their widened eyes, they froze dead in their tracks, and then, just as Oxnard had only moments before, began to sway on the spot before careening all over the place, eventually hitting the grass with innumerable and scattered dull thumps, their swords falling useless from their limp paws. A haunting, eery silence settled over the entire courtyard, in the wake of Steel's nightmarish attack. It was Hamtaro who had the courage to look first at the aftermath, and, carefully opening his chocolate eyes to see the damage, and he gasped in horror as he saw the knights laying sporadically across the lawn like lumps of coal, peacefully dozing, and Steel's dark, triumphant laughter broke out against the night air.

Gradually, as the ominous silence settled and they realized that the danger had passed for the moment, all eyes returned to Steel, Sprint and Screech coming out from under the tables, to find Steel and his minions were the last hams standing. Hamorette's jade eyes widened with horror. The fleet of her bravest knights had been defeated with one sweep of the corrupted Stone of Slumber!

"Oh, ham-heavens...." She murmured to herself, wringing her paws anxiously as she shut her jade eyes tightly. "What can we do now?"

Steel's cobalt eyes zeroes in on the ham-hams, centering them as his next victims. He was growing weary of all the taunting; time for action was upon him, and that would in turn bring him closer to his ultimate goal. "Enough small talk!" He barked, directing his scepter at the ham-hams with one vicious twirl. "Time for bed, _brave heroes_!"

"Everyone, quick!" Hamtaro, hatching an idea, motioned frantically to his friends. "Duck behind the food table, before he has a chance to attack us again!"

The scepter began to shine once more, ready to deliver more hamsters into sleep, but, after having seen the Stone in action already, his victims were prepared. Sprint and Screech returned to hiding under their circular tables, and Hamorette quickly hid behind her throne, Joy turning her back to the light. The ham-hams dove swiftly over the top of the food table, cowering behind it to avoid the attack Boss, Stan, Hamtaro, and Panda even pushed the table over so it made a makeshift shield - luckily, the string quintet had fled during all the chaos and wasn't exposed when the table tipped. Unfortunately for Steel, no more hamsters were pulled under. Irked by the failure of his attack, Steel narrowed his cobalt eyes and frowned. It was much more difficult to put his enemies to sleep, now that they were in smaller numbers and aware of his strength...

A wily smirk spread across his face as inspiration struck yet again.

"Let's try a _different _tactic then, shall we?"

The scepter in his paw shone brighter than before, and sparkling, tangible red energy began to crackle around the ruby-red Stone. The energy built up, stronger and brighter, whilst the Dreamlanders and ham-hams continued to cower in their hiding places, afraid to be put under the sleep spell. Fury, sensing that her services were needed, grasped the Staff of Nightmares tighter in her paws and snarled, as her Staff also began to glow with sparking, electric red energy, in perfect symbiosis with Steel's.

As they prepared their attack, the ham-hams exchanged worried glances from their hiding spot behind the food table. An odd silence had settled back on the battlefield, save for a few scattered snores from the slumbering knights and Oxnard, and the fur continued to bristle on the backs of their necks. Their vision cut off, they had no idea what their steel-furred enemy was doing. "What is Steel doing now? He can't put us to sleep from behind here, if we don't see the light..." Cappy said shakily, worriedly fiddling with his new cap.

"We can't stay hiding behind here _forever _though!" Boss remarked, slumping against the tabletop. "We've got to fight him head on! I just wish we knew what he was doing, and how we can stop it..."

It was Stan who had the surprising courage to look over the able's edge in order to catch a glimpse of Steel. Very carefully, and under the watchful, worried eyes of his twin sister, the tiger-striped flirt carefully raised his eyes so they could peer over the overturned tabletop, trying to stay hidden from the wrathful gaze of Steel, his knees threatening to buckle from beneath him.

"L-let's see what that evil hamdude's up to...."

_CRACK!_

A centimeter from Stan's peeking eyes, a circular section of the tabletop exploded with a flash of red, sending chunks of splintered wood flying in every direction, the result of an energy beam shot from Steel's scepter. Stan, with a very girlish squeal, fell backwards, flat on his tail, and stared with wide, incredulous eyes at the jagged hole that had been blasted through their makeshift shield. Pashmina and Penelope screamed as a few splinters struck their fur, while the other hams, after shielding their eyes from the harmful debris, stared at the wrecked part of the table in shock.

"H-he....he blew a hole right through the table!" Panda gaped at the damage, slapping a paw to his forehead in disbelief.

"We have nothing like that at our disposal!" Dexter fretted, nervously adjusting his bow-tie. "Besides, there's no mystical sword or Guardian to help us out this time! We are in way over our ears with this one, ham-hams!"

Boss surveyed the damage more calmly, though he was also visibly shaken by the attack. "If one attack from the Stone can do damage like that, this whole table is going to be blown to smithereens in a matter of minutes! Looks like we need to think of a plan, and _fast_, hams, or else we need a new hiding spot!" No sooner had the words left his mouth, when another chunk of the table was blasted to bits, nearly giving poor Cappy, who had been the closest to the splintered wood, a heart attack.

"Come out, come out, wherever you _are_, ham-hams! This is no time for hide-and-seek!" Steel's malicious voice taunted darkly from the other side of the courtyard, his scepter already glowing as it prepared to hurl another energy beam at their faltering fortress.

"We can't fight this guy!" Howdy commented grimly, struggling not to lapse into hysterics, his brow furrowed. "The Guardian really was our best shot here, hams! How in _heke _d'you reckon we stand a chance without Siren and all them knights!?"

Nearly all eyes turned to Maxwell, who, normally, was the bringer of ideas. He was anxiously consulting the book he had gotten from the library, only to learn that the only information it contained on the Stone of Slumber was the general facts they already knew - not how to counterattack one of those energy beams! "I don't know what to do, hams! This book isn't going to help! We're just going to have to think of something ourselves!"

"Like _what_, hamdude?!" Stan, still quivering, fairly screeched, flailing his arms wildly. "You're the smart one, with all your books and junk! _You _think of something!"

Abruptly, the ham-hams heard another splintering crash, only this time, their table wasn't harmed. Cautiously, Panda peered around the far side of the table and saw that the table Screech had been hiding under had been destroyed, and he watched in horror as Sprint's also exploded, jagged chunks of wood skittering across the grass. Both knights, now exposed to their foes, looked to have sustained only minor injuries from the destruction of their hiding places - scrapes on their faces and maybe a splinter or two. But Panda was even more shocked to see that it wasn't Steel who had launched the attack on the two knights...

...It had been a ferally growling Fury, whose Staff of Nightmares gleamed with crackling red energy, not unlike Steel's scepter.

"We've got _double _trouble ham-hams!" Panda reported swiftly, eyes wide with terror, ducking back under what cover they had left. "Now Fury's attacking us _too_! She just attacked Screech and Sprint, and now they're out there in the open!"

"Gasp-P!" Bijou's paws flew to her face, as fear began to shine in her cerulean eyes. "Zis is 'orrible! Zhey cannot defeat Steel on zeir own! 'E is far too powerful for just ze two of zhem!"

Hamtaro listened to the doubt in his friend's voices with a thundering heart, and their skepticism of their current predicament made his shoulders droop slightly. How could they even think of running away, when Dreamland so desperately needed their help? But the resilience, coursing soundly through his spirit, could not be doused by any second-guesses. With burning chocolate-eyes, Hamtaro stared hard at their surroundings, looking around for anything that would aid them, wondering what they could possibly do to deflect those seemingly-invincible beams of sparking red light...

And then, his determined eyes fell on the gleaming objects resting forlornly around their feet, and an idea popped into his head instantly. He could not help the small, but powerful smile that captured his mouth as he stooped over to pick up the inspiration for his plan.

"Hold up a second, ham-hams! I think I've got a plan!"

Joy had also watched with gravely narrowed amber eyes as Steel wreaked havoc upon the courtyard. She had seen the red energy from Fury's Staff of Nightmares destroy the tables Screech and Sprint had been hiding under. And now, she could see her comrades, Sprint and Screech, looking a little bit battered as they raised their swords toward Steel, ready for an outright battle. She could see Hamorette, peering cautiously around the edge of her throne, watching the scene with worry in her jade eyes. And she could see the ham-hams, listening intently to Hamtaro as he spoke hurriedly to them, behind their deteriorating table. Anger bubbled to the surface of her heart, and she clenched the Staff of Dreams tightly in her fist.

"I'm sorry, Fury..." She murmured softly, as she began to creep steadily toward her brainwashed best friend and the maniac controlling her. "But I cannot allow you to hurt anyone, even if you aren't doing it of your own free will..." And then, her tone grew darker and she bared her teeth as she spat,

"And as for you, Steel...your tyranny ends _here_!"

Raising the Staff of Dreams defiantly over her head, Joy pointed it toward Fury with a firm expression on her face. It began to crackle with bubble-gum pink light, and, with a flash of magenta pink, a beam of searing pink energy hurtled toward Fury with astounding speed. The brainwashed wielder of the Staff of Nightmares didn't flinch as the energy beam approached her, sparking and snapping with the power of Joy's dreams...

Steel noticed Joy's assault from the corner of his eye, and barked swiftly, tone malevolently snide, "Fury! Give that pain in the tail Joy something to _smile _about!"

With a wolfish snarl, Fury held out the glowing Staff of Nightmares in front of her and began to twirl it rapidly, grey eyes now agleam with a glint of burning cruelty. Joy's attack struck her head on, but the crackling energy of the Staff of Nightmares deflected it, so beams of bright pink shot in every direction, striking the walls of the castle and knocking lose a few stone bricks, and even slicing a few strands of fur off of Sprint's elbow as he hastily dove to avoid being hit head on. Joy stared at the unharmed Fury, openmouthed.

"My...my attack did nothing?"

Fury's response to that was to hurl a beam of crimson energy straight back at Joy. The flabbergasted Protector of Slumber recovered from her shock, just in time to dodge, though she narrowly avoided being hit. As the beam of crimson light shot past her, she could feel the heat, and the electric, evil power behind it, and her heart began to pound furiously. Coupled with the corruption of the Stone of Slumber, the power of the Staff of Nightmares had surpassed it's sister, the Staff of Dreams...one hit, and she was doomed.

There had to be some way to stop this mayhem, before it really got out of paw.

"Fury!" Screech bellowed, as he saw Joy barely avoid complete annihilation. Icy eyes helplessly pleading, he still held on to that faint, dying hope that Fury would come to her senses, and stop assisting their nemesis. "You must stop this! Joy's your best friend! You have to snap out of it - you have to break Steel's mind control!"

Fury directed her dangerously narrow grey eyes toward the boyham she no longer remembered. With a furious snarl, she pointed the Staff of Nightmares toward him and fired another energy beam. Screech ducked, and Sprint, behind him, did the same. The beam of crimson energy shot right over their heads, and they could feel it's power resonating in the air. They were definitely going to have their paws full, this time.

Voice desperate, Sprint said to his comrade, "We can't do anything against long-range attacks, Screech! We're going to have to move in if we want to do anything against Steel and his cronies! I'll take on the big ham himself, and you go try and get Fury to listen to you! Get Joy to help you - if there's anyham who can bring Fury out of whatever trance she's in, it's one of you two!"

"Right! Good luck, Sprint!" Screech cast a quick, furtive glance over his shoulder at his brother in knighthood.

"Back at you, buddy! Let's show Steel what a _real _nightmare is!"

On swift, trained paws, Screech and Sprint scrambled to their feet and made a beeline for their designated foes. Sprint, letting out a courageous battle-cry, raised his sword high over his head and lunged for Steel. The iron-furred hamster watched Sprint's rapid approach with a wicked grin and scheming cobalt eyes. The crimson energy of the scepter clashed with Sprint's silver sword in an epic deadlock, and Sprint stared hard into Steel's wicked eyes, looking for any trace of remorse or weakness behind his iron-clad mask of maliciousness. He found nothing but stone-cold hatred and maleficence.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't _Sprint_! And how is our favorite _Darklander _doing this fine evening?" Steel asked with mock sincerity, the brittle edge of a sneer in his voice. He pushed the scepter forward slightly, which, in turn, made a struggling Sprint take a few shaky pawsteps backward.

"Better than you'll be when I'm through with you!" Sprint retorted hotly, though he could tell that he would have difficulty sparring with such an unpredictable, and, as much as he hated to admit it, worthy foe.

"How strange we should be fighting like this, Sprint...I mean, you _do_ come from a line of pretty evil hamsters, what with your heritage and all...your type would usually agree with what I'm doing, and we would be fighting on the same side!" Steel mused, his tone darkly teasing as he pushed his scepter against the weakening force of Sprint's sword. "Shouldn't destiny have marked you as an evil ham, too? It seems fated that you's wind up exactly like...well, you _know_."

Muscles screaming with the strain of fending off Steel, Sprint managed to grunt, "Can it, creep! I fight for what is right, unlike you! Your evil deeds must be stopped! It's time for you to pay for what you've done to Dreamland and the Princess!"

"For what _I've _done to _them_?!"

In an instant, the sarcasm and mocking tone in Steel's voice evaporated, replaced with a brutal anger and furious ferocity. His cobalt eyes began to glow with an unrivaled rage, and he bared his teeth, nose wrinkled with ire. Sprint's ruby-red eyes opened with surprise by Steel's sudden switch in demeanor. He had seen Steel look evil before, but he had always retained that cool, sarcastic flair to balance his twisted immorality. Now, as their weapons grinded and clanged together, Sprint found himself staring into the vile, contorted face of _pure _evil, and nothing less.

With a resentful cry, Steel lurched forward suddenly, his scepter winning the standoff and sending Sprint off-balance. His sword, flung from his paw, landed in the grass with a thud, right next to the slumbering form of the Guardian. Before Sprint had any time to recover, he found his paws trapped behind him, held by the vicelike grip of Steel, and the scepter held in Steel's paw was now pressed under his chin, nearly cutting of his air as it cut into the fur of his neck. He could feel Steel's foul, hot breath in his ear as the villain spat furiously, clearing not caring for what Sprint had said to him, sending chills up Sprint's spine,

"Foolish little knight, speaking so strongly about affairs that do not concern you! You know _nothing _and understand _nothing_ - all you do is swing your sword whenever that pathetic princess tells you! For what _I_ have done to _them_? Nothing that can even _compare _to what that blasted princess, her wretched father, and even this deplorable kingdom did to _me!_ I _will _have my vengeance, and no ham, especially not the likes of _you_, will stand in my way!"

Sprint struggled against Steel's grip and tried to close his eyes, but it was too late. The light from the scepter lulled him to sleep, just as it had all of his comrades in knighthood, Siren, and Oxnard. Steel pushed the dozing Sprint away from him roughly, and the felled knight toppled over in a heap, almost nose-to-nose with the sleeping Guardian, and almost hitting another knight in the helmet with his paw. He was out cold, and would be of no further help to Dreamland.

Steel, visibly trembling with rage and without a trace of his usual attitude remaining, whirled around to see that little Nikolai was still standing, cowering, behind him, pressed up against the far wall in fear, just watching the events unfurl with wide hazel eyes, and the coil of rope in his paws.

"Nikolai!" Steel hissed, baring his teeth. "I _gave _you an assignment! If you have not hamnapped the princess by the time Fury and I defeat the rest of these pathetic heroes, I will have your hapless, hat-wearing head on a platter!"

Nikolai, jolted back to his senses by the venom in Steel's voice, squealed and jumped an inch or two into the air, before giving another trembling salute and choking, "Y-yes, Master Steel!" There was no doubt in his mind that Steel was one hundred percent serious about the 'head' threat, and, praying that his little heart wouldn't give up on him, the tiny hamster tucked the coil of rope under his oversized green hat, pulled the hat low over his ears, and curled himself tightly into a ball, drawing in deep, self-assuring breaths as he prepared for action. Steel was angrier than Nikolai had ever seen him, and he didn't want to know what Steel would be like if Nikolai did _not _fulfill the plan.

"H-here....here g-goes nothing!"

Curled into a tiny, shaggy ball of tan-fur with a green hat, Nikolai began to roll himself carefully around the perimeter of the courtyard, the task he had been given weighing heavily on his shoulders. Now, it was time to prove that he, useless little Nikolai, was worth more than anyone had ever given him credit for.

Meanwhile, Screech had come, once again, face-to-face with the mindless Fury. She stared him down, Staff of Nightmares agleam, the look in her grey eyes akin to her namesake. "Fury..." He pleaded one last time, though his sword was raised for protection. "Please...you promised me that you'd come back. Don't you remember?"

For a moment, Screech was sure he had convinced her, and he swore he saw the darkness in her eyes falter slightly. But, before he could do anything more, a beam of bubble-gum pink zoomed by, slicing right between he and his brainwashed girlham, nearly shearing off a few strands of his fur. Joy had sprinted forward to join the fight, and leapt high in the air, Staff of Dreams raised high over her head. With a snarl, Fury turned away from Screech and met Joy's aerial attack. She raised the Staff of Nightmares over her own head, so Joy's Staff of Dreams struck it, pink clashing sharply with crimson with an electric crackling sound. There was a vertical showdown, between the sister staffs.

But Fury was nimble, even in her current condition, and her strength had also increased due to the power of nightmares coursing through her. Joy quickly found herself flung head over tail into the stone wall of the courtyard with brutal force, clearly overpowered by her zombified hamigo. With a grunt, she fell to the ground, limbs heavy as lead and eyes drooping. The last thing she saw before the world dimmed was a growling Fury, directing her Staff of Nightmares toward a bewildered, conflicted Screech, and then all was black.

"I...I've failed you....princess..."

"Joy!" Screech bellowed in bewilderment as he watched his companion slump to the ground, helpless blue eyes wide. "No!"

Fury glared furiously at Screech, looking as if she were ready for bloodshed. Walking on the very tips of her paws, like some kind of canine on the prowl, Fury crept over toward Screech, haunches low, but teeth bared and a deep growl rumbling in her chest. Screech was at a complete loss - there were no words to say, and he could think of nothing to do. Fury had completely transformed - from a sweet, shy, yet feisty hamgirl with a heart of gold to a black-hearted henchham of an immoral evildoer.

"_I _always _come back. This time won't be any different._"

He couldn't fight the one he loved with all his heart....whether she remembered him or not. After all the pain she had already been through - pain he had helped her mend from - he couldn't bring himself to harm her in any way, no matter what was at stake.

"I'm sorry, everyone. But this is one battle...I could never, ever win."

A horrified Hamorette watched, peeking carefully around the back of the throne, as Screech lowered his sword and stared helplessly at a steadily approaching Fury. He dropped the sword, so it fell onto the grass with a dulled thud, and Hamorette instantly realized what her head knight was doing. "What...?" She murmured in disbelief. "Has...has he consigned himself to....to lose? All because of _Fury_?" Her heart began to rapidly pound with fear. If Screech fell, that left only the brave, heroic ham-hams as her defense...and really, she had never seen them in action before. Was she being left in capable paws?

Fury stood mere inches from Screech, Steel looking on with wicked glee a few feet away. She held out the Staff of Nightmares, so it nearly grazed the tip of Screech's tender pink nose. He stood almost completely still, moving only to raise a paw up over his heart. Emotions churning like a wild tempest, Screech's pleading blue eyes met Fury's vengeful grey in one last, desperate plea for acknowledgment and remembrance.

"Fury..._please_. After all that we've been through...you have _got _to remember me!"

She raised the Staff of Nightmares high over her head, face unchanged, and emotionless as cold stone. Screech could feel his hopes crashing down around him, like the fall of a once-great kingdom. Still, his gaze never wavered, even as his hopes for a gleam of recognition in Fury's eyes proved to be in vain. Tensing, he prepared for the pain, though it was incomparable to the turmoil his heart was suffering. Voice low and trembling, he uttered,

"Fury...no matter what happens...I...I love you."

To his surprise, Fury halted the Staff of Nightmares just a millimeter from the top of his head. Hopes rising wildly, Screech stared faithfully at Fury, certain she had remembered him and stopped her attack just in time, but he was instantly confused - her face was still as expressionless as ever, and it appeared as if she were frozen in time. Like someone had commanded her to stop on a dime.

"What the...?"

As if to answer the question he had been unable to finish, Screech found himself face-to face with the crimson Stone of Slumber. He didn't even have time to blink, and hadn't even felt or heart Steel sneak up behind him.

"So _sorry_, Screech. Love is a battlefield, and you just _lost_."

Deadly red glowing inside his eyelids, Screech, the latest victim of Steel's prowess, fell to the grass, asleep before his head even hit the ground. His paws lay outstretched, reaching for a side of Fury that was buried so deep within the mindless ham the sight of his defeated form had no effect on her. Deed done, Steel nodded to Fury, as if to say 'well done' and turned his furious, viciously glaring cobalt eyes onto the partially demolished table, where he knew those supposed brave heroes were hiding. The fur on Steel's neck bristled. He was still angrily-charged over what Sprint had said to him, and he needed more victims to release his rage upon.

"Playtime's _over_, ham-hams! Get ready to face the wrath of Steel!"

Pashmina, who had been peeking her head around the edge of the table to see what was happening while the others prepared for their plot, gasped in horror as she watched Joy, Screech _and _Sprint fall victim to Steel and Fury's unimaginable strength, though her eyes, which had been distracted with the fighting, had somehow missed Nikolai, who continued to roll himself carefully around the inside wall of the courtyard, getting closer and closer to his goal. However, her fearful gaze did see Steel and Fury, scepter and staff crackling with power, now directed toward their dilapidated defense.

"We're running out of time, ham-hams!" The scarf-wearing ham fretted, turning back to her hammos, who were huddled together again in one large group, trying to quickly set up their plan of attack- or rather, defense. "Sprint, Joy, and Screech are all down! They're going to be coming for us next!"

"That means there's no one like, protecting the princess!" Sandy realized, her eyes wide. "Like, she's the one Steel's after!"

"Come to think of it, where _is_ the princess?" Boss asked, stopping what he had been doing in order to cast a quick look around the battlefield, looking for a flash of gold or pink. "She hasn't said anything for a while...last I saw she was standing up on that platform, on her throne..."

"There she is!" Hamtaro noted, pointing one paw toward the throne, resting atop the platform a good few feet away from them. The ham-hams could see the corner of Hamorette's dress poking out from behind the throne - and a brief wave of relief washed over them. At least the embodiment of hope for Dreamland had found what looked like a safe hiding spot, and she hadn't been injured yet by Steel's attacks. However, they were still somewhat concerned, as she had never been without her knights at her side, protecting her from all harm...now, all of her knights had fallen, including the bravest of the brave, Screech and Sprint. Now, they were the last line of defense between Hamorette and the maniacal vengeance of steel and the corrupted Stone of Slumber.

Dexter's face clouded over with thought. "I think we should send a ham or two to guard Princess Hamorette! Considering all of the knights are _indisposed _at the moment...and we were brought here to help, so help we must!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, another massive chunk of the table was obliterated, this time from the combined efforts of Steel and Fury. Stan, Dexter, and Howdy were thrown backwards, the others shielding their faces from the debris and the vicious gale that had been kicked up from the ferocity of the attack. The girls screamed, and Hamtaro realized that it was now or never time - they had to end this. His plan simply _had _to work. The entire fate of the hamster world was resting on their shoulders, once again....it was a familiar feeling, but also nerve-wracking.

"Cappy, Penelope!" Boss looked to the two youngest hams, who had been huddled in fear behind him, the look in his eyes dire. "It's too dangerous here for you two! Go and hide with Princess Hamorette...the three of you can keep an eye on each other! If things look like they're getting bad, try and sneak the princess out of one of the side exits! We can't let Steel get to her, alright! We'll hold the fort down here, don't you worry!" Despite the situation they were in, Boss managed a wink toward the terrified twosome.

"S-sure thing, B-Boss..." Cappy swallowed hard, trying to remain brave in the face of peril.

"Ookwee..." Penelope was still shuddering in fear, but calmed a little after a quick, sisterly hug from Pashmina, a few tears shining in her eyes. "Be careful, Penelope!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"I'll be safe too, I promise! Just go - quickly!"

Cautiously, Cappy and Penelope linked paws for emotional support, and kept close to the ground, inching toward the platform, where Hamorette's throne rested. Both were more afraid than they had ever been in their young lives - the trembling of their paws confirmed that - and this time they didn't have Panda, Pashmina, or any of the other ham-hams to help them through the fear. Penelope had begun to cry silently, but Cappy remained strong, trying his very hardest to be brave - like his idol, Boss.

"Don't you worry, Penelope! We're going to protect Princess Hamorette no matter what! And I won't let anything happen to you, either!" Cappy promised courageously, voice quivering, but containing more resolve than he had ever been able to muster before. "Let's make our hammos proud, okay?"

Penelope offered a small, watery smile, and she hastily swiped a blanketed paw at her tears. "O-Ookwee! Ookwee!" A bit of heroism, small, but resolute, began to shine in her eyes as well.

"That's the spirit!"

Suddenly, they could hear the splintering of wood behind them, and flinched as they heard a few of their friends grunt in pain or shriek with surprise, but the young duo did not turn back, for fear that they would see their hammos hurt - or worse. They forged onward together, paw-in-paw, with hearts thundering in their chests. The platform was so close...they could see Hamorette now, cowering behind the regal chair, her jade eyes squeezed shut, back rigid, as if the battle had been overwhelming her. Now, they were a safe enough distance away from the fray that no debris could hit them, but they were still wary.

"Princess! We've come to protect you!" Cappy hollered, paws curled into fists, as soon as they were just a few inches away from the stairs to the platform. "Steel won't be able to hurt you so long as we're here!"

"Cappy! Penelope!" Hamorette, startled, breathed in surprise, surprised jade eyes looking down at the youngsters from her hiding spot -she was relieved to see friendly faces, though she doubted that the two of them, as young as they were, would be able to do anything if Steel managed to reach them. "Goodness, you startled me! H-have the others made any progress?" Her paws continued to quiver, and she wrung them fretfully.

Cappy managed a wink similar to the one Boss had just given him. "Don't worry, Princess Hamorette! The others have a plan, and they're working on it right now!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Tentatively, Hamorette got to her feet and peered delicately around her, looking for any signs of danger. "Well, that's certainly good to - _oh_!"

Hamorette was cut off, mid-sentence, as a shaggy ball of tan and white fur in a green santa-cap came hurtling toward her from above, spinning rapidly, like some kind of hairy pinball falling from the sky. Cappy and Penelope stared in shock as the ball of fur landed right in front of an equally as stunned Hamorette, and they watched as the ball unrolled itself with a faint 'pop' to reveal a small hamster with watery hazel eyes, who have a wheezy squeak as he adjusted his santa-cap, and pulled out a coil of rope from underneath the green fabric, his paws trembling, but his gaze resilient.

"P-P-Princess Hamorette..." The tiny hamster stuttered, hating what he had to do, but more determined than ever to do it.

"Wh-why, you're...you're..." Hamorette stammered, recognition flashing in her eyes as she identified the tiny hamster, with his familiar hazel eyes and trademark hat...

"_Nikolai_!" Cappy finished in a yell, recognizing the little hamster from earlier that evening and from the photo on Uncle C's shop. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but admire the green cap resting snugly on Nikolai's head - it was wonderfully crafted, and looked like it would function perfectly in any form of weather. He _had _to admire a ham who knew what kind of hat to wear!

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope squealed, waving her arms up and down.

"The runaway! Cumulonimbus's son..." Hamorette trailed off, the fur on the back of her neck standing at attention. The coil of rope in his paws was menacing...

Nikolai swallowed his fear and uncoiled the rope, expertly tying it to form a lasso, whirling it over his head, and lassoing Hamorette before she could blink. Having stolen various items in his time, Nikolai knew what he was doing - even if he had never stolen an flesh-and-blood ham before. Feeling the rope tighten around her arms, which were instantly pinned to her sides, Hamorette gasped in fright, her jade eyes wide.

"What are you _doing_?" She asked helplessly.

Nikolai's reply was simple, and he was barely able to stutter it without slipping. He could feel what little bravery he had in his little body coming to the forefront, and his face turned to a mask of steely resolve, rather than jumbled nerves, for the first time in his young life. "If I don't do this, Master Steel will never appreciate me! So I'm sorry Princess...but you're going to have to come with me!"

The ham-hams plan was just about complete when another section of the table was demolished in a flash of crimson. Hamtaro winced as a sliver of wood nicked his ear, but he shook off the pain and picked up the shining item at his feet - the item he hoped would be key to their victory.

"Get ready, hams! It's time!" He hissed to his hammos. To his right, Boss picked up his own weapon and nodded, and at his left, Bijou did the same.

All along the line, the ham-hams held on to their items for dear life - Maxwell had a silver platter that had once been home to apple tarts, Dexter had a golden tray that sunflower seed dumplings had been served on, Howdy had a golden plate that had once had strawberry cupcakes on it - and the list went on and on. Each ham held pure silver or gold plate, platter, or tray in their paws, shined so they were gleaming to perfection, and held directly in front of the ham-hams faces. They had fanned out along what remained of their fortress. No matter where Steel and Fury struck them next, they were going to wind up hitting the reflective surface of one of this plates, platters or trays...

"Just hold on to your plates, ham-hams!" Hamtaro whispered encouragingly to his hammos, as he flattened his ears against his head and braced for impact. "This is gonna be rough!"

Steel stopped when he was about two feet from the remains of the table, Fury doing the same at his side. He knew the ham-hams were still cowering in fear behind it, and he chuckled - he had shown them that he could blow them to pieces, and yet they remained in hiding, too terrified to try and find a more secure hiding spot. Victory was now so close, he could almost feel it in his paws - and he knew that it would soon be his, for there was nothing anyham could do to stop him.

"Any last _words_, ham-hams?" He sneered darkly, ready to launch what he hoped would be his final attack.

He could hear nothing from the table. A smirk slowly wound itself onto his face, and he murmured, "Very well then...have it your way! Fury...let's go! Give these pathetic heroes the nightmares they deserve!"

Two more crackling red energy beams from the scepter and the Staff of Nightmares hurtled toward what remained of the table. Steel watched with gleeful maliciousness as the splintered wood shot every which way, demolishing all the protection the ham-hams had left. He narrowed his eyes, and saw the crimson energy glowing brightly...so brightly, it looked as if it were coming closer...flying _back _at him somehow...now, it looking like it was right in front of his face.

"..._huh_?"

Steel was lucky that reflecting the attack had weakened it's force - he was struck, square in the face, with his own energy beam, and he flew backwards, landing with a thud amongst the scattered sleeping bodies of the knights. Fury also, was hit head on with her own attack reflected back at her, and she was unceremoniously hurled backwards - she landed on one of the remaining circular tables, skidded across the top and taking the tablecloth with her, and landed on the other side with a thunk. Disoriented for a moment, Steel groggily raised his head to see what had happened.

Hamtaro and the ham-hams let out a small, collective cheer at their handiwork as they saw Steel laying, dazed, on the grass. Bijou's paws were trembling despite the smile on her face - it had been Fury's attack that had struck the silver platter in her paws, and she was still recovering from the shock of the pure-silver reflecting the attack back at their enemies. Had Hamtaro's idea not worked, and the energy had broken through the platter, she would have been a goner! Dexter, on the other paw, had been the unfortunate ham on the receiving end of Steel's attack, and, although he had reflected it back, was so shaken he fell to the ground in a heap anyway.

"Get up, Dex! The fight ain't over yet!" Howdy chuckled, pulling his hamspar to his feet.

"M-my, my...That was exhilarating!" Dexter admitted, quickly picking up his golden tray, should Steel try and attack them again. "Who would have thought that silver and gold would reflect Steel's attacks? It's like a mirror, reflecting light! Why, Hamtaro, I never thought I'd say this but you're a _genius_!"

"I would have never even _thought _of this! Excellent work, Hamtaro!" A baffled Maxwell praised the orange-furred ham.

"Heh, well, I guess we all have our moments..." Hamtaro, a bit of his old nature shining through his heroic persona, smiled, but returned to glaring stoically at Steel, who had gotten shakily back to his feet and was glaring heatedly at the ham-hams, not amused by how he had been thwarted. Fury, also, had returned to her position at Steel's right side - her nose, however, was trickling blood. Steel was infuriated - how could he have been felled by _dinner plates_?

"Sorry, Steel!" Boss couldn't resist a good taunt, as he stuck his tongue out quickly at the villain. "But not even steel can break through silver!"

"Yeah, hamdude!" Stan teased, adding his two cents. "No matter what you send our way, we're just going to send it right back at ya!"

In response to that, Steel and Fury launched yet another attack. This time, Sandy managed to reflect Fury's - though she reflected it into the ground this time, sending a plume of dist into the air - and Stan, with a girlish "Eep!" reflected Steel's attack toward the sky, where it shone like a firework against the inky blackness. Steel let out a frustrated, enraged groan, stamping his paw in the grass as the dust from Fury's deflected attack cleared. There was absolutely no way he would let his vengeance be halted by simple pieces of silverware, and the simpleton hams behind them.

Cappy and Penelope, oblivious to all else that was going on, raced up the steps of the platform to try and stop Nikolai. But the little ham-ham was nimble - he had placed the rope in his teeth and run circles around Hamorette, so she was tightly bound from shoulder to waist by the black rope, and he also managed to tightly knot the rope, all before Cappy and Penelope got to the top of the platform to confront him. "Nikolai!" Cappy growled defiantly. "Give the princess back!"

Noticing them for the first time, Nikolai whirled around to face his new foes, and he gave a small, wheezy squeak. Not because he feared he was in danger...but because the ham who had said his name was wearing a certain hat. Nikolai _knew _that hat, or at least, where it had come from...he knew the stitching, he knew the style, right down to the 'C' carved in to the rim...and the fat that this hamster, this outsider, was wearing one unnerved him, deeply.

"That's..." For a moment, he forgot his duty and stared with mouth agape at the newcomers.

That gave Hamorette enough time to wiggle her foot enough to give Nikolai a sharp kick to the rear. The little ham squeaked in surprise, but was instantly jolted back to his senses from the force of her foot. Fearful of what the brave heroes may do to him, Nikolai, with what little muscles he had, hopped up onto the throne and pushed it over so it fell between the trapped Princess and her rescuers, blocking Cappy and Penelope momentarily.

"Ookwee!" Penelope danced out of the way just in time, her foot nearly crushed by the toppled throne. She saw Nikolai, with his little paws, dragging a helpless Hamorette toward the other side of the platform.

"No, _Princess_!" Cappy outstretched a paw, his eyes wide as he stared in horror at the captive Princess he had promised to protect.

"Help! Please, _help _me!" Hamorette shouted, her golden fur mussed and hem of her dress torn as she was dragged unceremoniously across the platform. Her jade eyes were helpless as she watched Cappy and Penelope getting further and further away...

Nikolai, heart thudding, placed two fingers in his mouth and blew, letting out a shrill whistle. The sharp note rang in the air for a second, and Cappy and Penelope fumbled their way over the throne, dashing toward the thief and his royal prize. Nikolai nearly jumped out of his fur as he watched the youngsters approaching. Steel would kill him if he got caught!

And then, just as Cappy lunged to grab hold of the bound Princess, an immense black crow swooped down from the night sky and hovered between Cappy and Penelope and Nikolai and Hamorette, talons extended, letting out a vicious caw and glaring with beady black eyes at the two young hams. Cappy and Penelope both screamed in terror as the gust whipped up by the crow's wings ruffled their fur, and they scrambled frantically backwards, desperate to get away from the sharp beak and threatening talons of the predator, neither of them wanting to wind up crow-chow.

Nikolai, a huge wave of relief washing over him, swiped a paw across his forehead. The crow, it's first job completed, wrapped a mightily protesting Hamorette in it's feet, careful not to cut her binds with it's talons, and then allowed the successful little thief to swing himself up securely onto the sleek black feathers of the crow's back. In an instant, and before Cappy and Penelope could do anything, the crow took off with a whirl of black feathers and disappeared against the black night, taking Hamorette with it.

"No! Princess!" Cappy hollered desperately, as he watched the princess disappear against the inky blackness, his voice growing fainter and fainter in her ears as she was carried further and further away.

As the crow flew swiftly over the battlements of the castle, the horror slowly dawned on Hamorette. Tears coursing down her cheeks, she watched as her precious Dreamland streamed by beneath her, just a bunch of scattered lights amidst the clouds, as she was carried off toward an uncertain future by her captor. "What...what are you going to do with me?!" Her voice had grown hoarse by now as she bellowed the tearful question, unable to see the sorrowful look on Nikolai's face as he sat perched atop the crow, sighing with both relief and sadness.

She did not hear the small, melancholy reply that Nikolai gave as they flew over the gates of Dreamland and began to hurtle downward, through the clouds, toward the cold, dismal castle and the haunted memories that remained there. He buried his face in the crow's black feathers, and let one single tear slip down the tan fur of his face, as the full realization of what he had done took over him.

"I'm sorry, princess...."

Steel watched the crow take off. He had seen Hamorette in it's clutches. He knew his plot had been successful. So it mattered not that the ham-hams had discovered a pathetic plan for reflecting his attacks, and that he had actually been knocked down - he had no reason to remain here, for his objective had been complete, and now it was time to return to that ruined castle, where the remainder of his evil plot would unfurl.

"We're done here, Fury..." He muttered under his breath to his brainwashed flunkey, unable to prevent the excitement from creeping into his voice. "Call the crows. Our hour has come!"

As Nikolai had done, Fury placed two fingers in her mouth and blew twice, so two notes echoed shrilly in the air. The ham-hams momentarily lowered their plates and platters to see what was happening - just in time to see two sleek black grows swoop down from above, and land right next to Screech and Fury, who expertly swung themselves onto the crow's backs, ready to make their dramatic getaway. Confused, Hamtaro turned around to look toward where Cappy, Penelope, and Hamorette were supposed to be hiding - only to see the throne overturned, and Cappy and Penelope staring helplessly toward the sky, where Nikolai had taken off with the beloved princess.

Gradually, all of the ham-hams turned to see what was going on, and the grim reality of the situation settled over them like a thick, too-warm blanket, almost suffocating them. It wasn't hard to figure out that somehow, Steel had hamnapped Hamorette.

"No..." Hamtaro whispered, dropping his tray with a clatter, unable to believe they could lose.

"I hate to fight and dash, hams..." Steel, his old, sarcastic suaveness returning, shouted over the flapping of the crow's wings, an evil gleam in his cobalt eyes. "But it looks as if I've got to fly! And I took your sweet, loving, Princess Hamorette as a parting gift, I hope you don't mind!" He let out a deep chuckle, as his and Fury's crows began to rise, into the night sky, ready to take off.

"Steel!" Boss raised a threatening fist toward the villain, eyes narrowed in anger. "You'll never get away with this!"

"Hate to break it to you, hams..." Steel raised his scepter one last time, putting all of the strength he could muster into one final attack, narrowing his cobalt eyes. "But I just did."

The entire courtyard was engulfed in brilliant red, and this time, there was no way to defend against it. One by one, the ham-hams felt their sight dimming, their ears drooping, and their limbs turned into useless jelly. "_No_!" Hamtaro managed one final, fruitless yell, before he and the rest of his hammos fell uselessly to the grass, drifting off into the figurative dreamland before they could even fully grasp what had happened to them. All was eerily silent as they faded out of consciousness; the banquet scene had become a slumbering courtyard, though it resembled a corpse-ridden battlefield at first glance, with scattered chunks of wood and debris lying around, evidence of the struggle that had been fought.

Steel smirked at his handiwork, and let his piercing laughter ring out against the night sky. At last, everything was successfully underway! With his cobalt eyes shining with a mixture of malevolent excitement and a still pulsing hunger for vengeance, Steel turned to Fury and commanded sharply,

"You know what to do, Fury. Hurry...there is much to be done before tomorrow night."

"Yes, Master Steel."

The Staff of Nightmares in Fury's tightly clenched paw shone red again, and for a moment, a thin, red fog settled over the sleeping bodies of the fallen hamsters below, like a ruby-tinged mist. Steel sighed happily, watching as the fog slowly faded, and then turned his crow around in midair, in the direction of his escape route, wanting to leave before the screams of terror began. It was only a matter of minutes until the nightmare of him filled their helpless minds once more, and struck fear of him into their pathetic little hearts.

Fury and Steel raced off toward Hamaustere, mission completed, Fury casting her nightmares down periodically, until the entire kingdom was full of the crimson mist. Steel glared down at Dreamland as they lew quickly above it, and, just before he hurtled over the gates, Steel stopped his crow for a moment and shouted, for all of Dreamland to hear, as a sort of victory declaration, not caring if anyone really heard him or not, for they would get the message soon enough as they slept,

"The game has begun, Dreamland! I've made the first move, and captured your princess! But be warned; it will take more than a few pathetic knights and simple little pawns to take down _this _King!"

* * *

**CFB: **Gasp! Sorry if there's editing errors...I basically rewrote the whole last third of this in a straight shot.

**Next time: **The ham-hams awake in the courtyard, defeated and bruised - what are they going to do now that Princess Hamorette has been hamnapped by Steel? Does Dreamland have any hope left? The planning phase begins - but who will have input, and who won't? The ham-hams do some thinking and reflecting, some individually, others as a group...and Laura suffers some more (I think, that may be the chapter after that...)

Reviews would be highly appreciated...I'm struggling with writing right now, and some positive feedback would be very helpful.


	13. Scattered Showers

CFB: What's that? CFB dropped off the face of FFN for a _month_? Gasp! And she's really, really sorry? Yeah...my bad. I suck, lol. I've had extreme stress lately...I fell asleep on my floor today from exhaustion, haha! Ha...anyway...

**This time:** The ham-hams and knights awake in the aftermath of Steel's attack - what will they do without Hamorette at the helm of Dreamland? It's going to take one heke of a plan if they want to take down Steel and Fury! The princess exchanges some heated words with her captor, and Laura doesn't quite make the grade....in Algebra. (I almost failed Algebra, so I feel her pain.)

**I had 3,042 new messages in my old E-mail and it was giving me problems. So I just set up a new e-mail for FFN and facebook and all that junk...so if you tried to send me a PM at the end of April, chances are it went un-replied. **

This chapter is dedicated to **Theta Jones** for being a consistently great reviewer. Check out his AWESOME cross-over fic **Hunt For the Renegade** - it's ridiculously cool, features some Hamtaro elements (as well as various others), and is well-worth a read!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12:** _Scattered Showers_

"Oh....my aching _head_...."

That was the sentiment of Hamtaro's boggled mind when he awoke on the dewy grass, the golden sun almost fully obscured by the puffy grey clouds drifting listlessly above, in the early morning after their loss at the powerful paws of Steel. Hamtaro blinked his bleary brown eyes repeatedly upon wakening, trying to rid himself of the remnants of his haunted sleep, during which he had been trapped in a familiar corner, under the predatory crimson eyes of a beast and the steely-furred, evil hamster that controlled it laughing under a full, silver moon.

"The nightmare..." Hamtaro murmured dazedly as he sat up, a look of mild confusion crossing his features as he looked around the destroyed courtyard - what was he doing _outside_? He saw Bijou laying next to him, her pigtails mussed, sound asleep, though her face was troubled, and Boss sprawled on his other side, laying spread-eagle and snoring loudly next to what looked like....a dented, silver food platter?

"..._Heke_?"

For a moment, he continued to stare at his befuddling surroundings, unable to fully process what he was seeing - the rest of the ham-hams were sleeping peacefully close by, Sprint and Siren dozing just a few feet away, Joy and Screech slumbering near the far wall of the courtyard, and dozens of snoring, sleep-mumbling knights, scattered all around the area. And then, as his baffled brown eyes took in the hunks of splintered, jagged wood, the food splattered all over the grass, the demolished tables, the toppled throne, and the craters carved into the grass from those awful, red energy beams, the events from the previous night flashed through his mind, and his eyes widened with the grave horror.

"Oh, cats!" He cried, hopping to his feet and staring all about, looking vainly for any sign of Steel. The grim realization quickly dawned on him as a faint drizzle began to trickle down from the overcast heavens, dampening both his fur and his spirits. Shaking and hanging his head, the defeated, disheartened hero murmured incredulously, ears drooping, "That horrible ham got away with Princess Hamorette!" How could victory have slipped so easily through their paws?

"...Is that like, _you_, Hamtaro?"

Hamtaro's ears pricked forward at the mention of his name. He whirled around to see Sandy, sitting up with a fatigued groan, looking at him with confused, half-lidded eyes. Before Hamtaro could muster up a sentence in reply, Sandy's weary expression turned into one of instant anger, and, with a small shriek, she threw a rock that had been laying at her side at her bewildered orange-furred hammo. He barely managed to dodge it, wondering what he had done to aggravate her temper.

"Hamtaro, what are you like, doing?! Get _out _of the girl's room! You're like, not allowed in here!" Sandy cried, springing to her feet and looking for an object - preferably a large one - to pummel Hamtaro with.

"Woah, Sandy, wait a minute!" Hamtaro, eyes wide, quickly held his paws out in front of him as an expression of innocence, not wanting to suffer any bodily harm from the physically intimidating Sandy. "I'm not _in_ the girls room! Don't you remember? Steel put us all to sleep with the Stone of Slumber last night, and he hamnapped Princess Hamorette!"

Sandy stopped her search for a weapon abruptly, and seemed to notice her surroundings for the first time. Looking around at the damaged castle courtyard and the sleeping victims of Steel, she gasped, and remarked, "Oh no, that's _right_! I even had that like, totally uncool nightmare last night too! Like, what are we going to do _now_?"

"That's a good question..."

The two ham-hams looked to see a sleepy-eyed Screech dragging his hindpaws over to them, looking like he had not only lost an epic battle, but had also suffered the worst night's sleep of his life - and that was because he actually had. The bedraggled Dreamland knight sighed deeply upon reaching them, and a sad gleam resonated in his chilling blue eyes. With a gentle paw, he touched the gash under his chin - the one Fury's Staff of Nightmares had given him - and that only heightened the sorrow in his gaze.

"...I fear that matters are far worse than we ever realized. Steel not only invaded Dreamland, his nightmares somehow managed to penetrate the protective barrier around Dreamland. He's gained power much more rapidly than we could have anticipated..." His face clouded over with confusion, and he looked around the ruined courtyard with searching eyes. "Where's the princess?"

Hamtaro and Sandy exchanged a look. Screech had been asleep for Hamorette's abduction, so he wasn't aware of the terrible news. Screech didn't need to be bright to figure out what had happened; he could figure it out merely from the looks on their faces. He let out a weathered groan, and slapped a paw to his forehead. "It figures...the first time Hamorette is in _real _danger, we fail to protect her."

Sandy patted him on the arm in a consoling fashion. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Screech! Like, we'll think of a plan or something to rescue Hamorette and Fury, and beat that like, awful hamdude Steel!" Despite the lingering doubt in her voice, Sandy managed to make her statement with surprising conviction. Screech did not look so convinced, however.

Hamtaro, sensing his new hammo's worries, quickly chipped in, though he too, was very discouraged by the events of the night before, "We've taken down an evil ham before, and we can do it again, Screech. We promised to save the hamster world, and true, blue ham-hams always keep their promises!"

Screech just smiled briefly, still upset, before commenting absently,"The citizens of Dreamland are not going to take this well...Hamorette was the figureham of hope for the kingdom, and now that she's been hamnapped, they will have no one to look to in these hard times."

"The princess is _gone_?"

The three ham-hams turned to see Sprint and Siren, waking up at the same time (and blushing, upon discovering that they had been sleeping almost nose-to-nose, though they tried to conceal their embarrassment) and slowly grasping their surroundings, as Screech, Sandy, and Hamtaro had done. Siren had been out cold for a majority of the fight, and Sprint for a little under half, so most of the night's events were a mystery to them, but the resulting damage all around them told them that it had not been a victory.

Hamtaro nodded sadly, as Sprint, after helping a wobbly-legged Siren to her feet, and the Guardian host made their way over to join the small group. Sprint yawned, but hung his head in despair. "Ugh! That blasted Steel!" He cursed, kicking at a dented dinner plate that lay forlornly at his feet. His crimson eyes burned with rage and hatred, which made Siren uneasy, as his gaze looked far more evil than it should when he got emotional. "This is outright terrible!"

"You're telling me..." Boss now, had stirred and awoken with a gargantuan yawn of his own. Unlike the others, he was very aware of his surroundings straight away and the grim look of realization remained in his normally friendly eyes. As he got to his feet and stretched, he remarked in a toneless, dry voice, "We got ambushed, and tossed to the side like week-old garbage!"

"Ugh, don't remind me..." Stan grumbled, as he blinked his eyes open, and then pressed his paws over them with a disgruntled groan, the events from the night before flashing through his head like a movie on fast-forward.

"Fury didn't even recognize me..." Screech lamented, ears drooping. He recalled the look of pure darkness that had danced across her once-friendly features as she battled him, and his heart gave a painful twist. Sprint and Siren, wishing to comfort him, placed warm paws on his shoulders, though his depressed demeanor was unchanged. No soothing paw could mend a broken heart, after all. "Steel's power is far greater than any villain Dreamland has ever faced."

"Well, then, we'll just have to be the greatest heroes Dreamland ever saw!" Hamtaro declared bravely, curling his paws into fists. "And we can do it! I know we can, if we give it all we got!"

Sadly, he was the only one even half-convinced. It was hard to lift fallen spirits after such a crushing loss.

Sprint let out a deep sigh. "Well, Dreamland's policy has always been to wait and strike when the time is perfectly right. However, I don't think we have time for that in this case - we have to strike fast, or Steel is just going to get even stronger. And by fast I mean like...tonight."

"Tonight?!" Sandy sounded alarmed. "Like, so _soon_? We're all still wiped out from _last _night!"

Screech nodded grimly. "Unfortunately, the longer Steel has possession of the Stone of Slumber, the more dangerous he becomes. Besides, now he has Hamorette in his paws, and who knows how strong his power over Fury can become as time goes on! We have to end this, and we have to end it _now_."

Siren's eyes clouded over with concern. "Is there enough time to plan a proper course of action? We were caught of guard last night, but maybe, with the right plan, that won't happen..."

Sprint nodded, wanting to ease any troubled minds. "The strategists of the Dreamland knights are no joke. They've come up with very efficient plans in shorter time than this, don't you worry! And with some of you lending a paw, or rather, lending a mind, it will be as simple as sunflower pie. We'll have a strategy in place by sundown that will absolutely _flatten _Steel!"

A tiny bit of conviction resonated in the air, and the hamsters surveyed the damage once more with saddened eyes. How were they going to recover from this blow? They were going to have to think of something, and they didn't have time as a luxury any longer. Their window of opportunity to defeat Steel was closing rapidly, and unless they found something to keep it open, his power would be too immense to surpass.

Stan draped a weary arm over his sister's drooped shoulder. He yawned lazily."Well hams, I'll leave the planning stuff to all the smarty-paws, but I think we all got a job to do right now."

Hamtaro titled his head to the side. "Heke? What's that, Stan?"

"Well, these sleeping hamdudes and dudettes aren't going to wake _themselves _up."

* * *

It was hard for Laura to believe that after everything she had gone through that week, it could possibly get worse. Unfortunately, the fates were not smiling down on her.

She had made it a point to try and find Roberto before homeroom began, but her search was fruitless - a few times she swore she saw a flash of orange through the crowd of teeming teens, only to have it vanish from sight a moment later. She walked into Science, trailed by a broody looking Travis, about twenty minutes later, with a frown on her frequently-sorrowful face, taking the seat next to Kana with a very exaggerated sigh and flopping unceremoniously down on her chair.

"Bad morning?" Kana asked casually, not looking up from her notes.

Laura groaned. "You have no idea."

Kana smiled faintly, adjusting her glasses. "Well, I hate saying it, but if you want to see something kind of..._funny_, then look up at our favorite stoic soccer player. He's got a surprising new accessory that makes him look like he belongs on the set of a sci-fi movie or something."

Laura, attention caught, turned her gaze to the table up front, where Reese was already sitting. His foot was tapping idly on the tiled floor, and he was perched on the seat in such a way that he emanated coolness...and it would have been overpowering if it weren't for the slab of metal taped down to his nose, holding it in place.

"Oh my..."

Irritated grey eyes glared at the table from either side of the contraption, looking like Reese wanted to strangle the pencil he was twirling in his fingers to a splintery death. Laura felt bad for the boy, but had to choke back a laugh - Reese looked _ridiculous_, and it ruined his usual ineffable demeanor. Had she not known the story behind the injury, she probably would have fallen out of her chair in a fit of giggles.

Kana chuckled lightly, though it was followed by a grimace. "Do you think he got hit by a soccer ball? It looks pretty painful..."

Laura shook her head, offering another drawn-out sigh, giggles gone. She had forgotten that Kana didn't know about the latest development in the dramatic love triangle. She frowned. "It would be better if he _had _been hit by a soccer ball, trust me."

Kana frowned. "I'm sensing that something bad happened, am I right?"

Making sure to keep her voice low, so those not involved with the situation wouldn't hear, Laura informed her pal, "Right. Last night I went to the ice cream parlor and wound up talking with Gina and Mika. They explained their side of the story, and we were getting along just fine when Mika's cell phone rang. Turns out, Travis and Reese got into a fight and Travis punched Reese in the nose!"

Behind her glasses, Kana's eyes widened. "What?! No way!"

Laura nodded grimly, watching as Travis, taking the seat beside Reese, scooted his stool to the extreme end of the table, not wanting to be anywhere near the blonde betrayer - though she thought she detected a triumphant smirk on the raven-haired boy's face as his cool eyes fell on Reese's metalwork. The latter merely swivelled his head, so he was looking out the window rather than at his unfortunate lab partner, still fiddling absently with his pencil, determined to show that his injury wasn't going to faze him. Travis may have broken his nose, but his spirit was a different matter.

Kana looked immensely troubled as she watched them, biting her lip with concern. Laura's brow furrowed as her best friend spoke, "But...Travis has always been so kind! I know he's upset about the Mika and Reese thing but...punching a guy in the nose? That's so unlike him!"

Laura felt her small smile fade, leaving her feeling abruptly cold and uneasy. She raised her hands to rub her chilled bare arms, staring hard at Travis's back, as if she were expecting to see him morph into some horrible monster - Kana's words were profoundly true. What _had_ happened to the boy she had once known so well, who smiled almost all the time and never had a bad thing to say about anyone? There didn't seem to be a trace of him left...

"Yeah, it really is...very unlike him."

But people did change a lot as they got older, didn't they? Some for the better, and some for the worse. It made Laura' heart sink a little as she wondered if Travis was one of those who had changed for the worst. I amazed her how growing up could corrupt people, poison them, yet make others rise above it all to establish who they were in the crazy, messed up world that was junior high school. And it made her nervous, wondering if she could avoid the venom that seemed to be seeping into her friends these slow, dramatic days.

Things did not improve in math class - instead, they chose to get even worse, were it possible.

They had gotten their grades for the pop quiz the previous day, and Laura's quiz had come back with a note at the top, no grade, scribbled in frantic red, "_See me after class today._" Obviously, Laura realized with a sigh, she had not wowed the teacher with her 'mad' Algebra skills, though she noticed quiet Mika had briskly slipped her paper into her backpack, unable to conceal the A+ written at the top. At least she knew whose notes to copy in the future.

Once the bell rang and she told Kana to go on without her, Laura approached the teacher's desk, ready for the worst.

"An...F?"

The teacher sighed, staring hard at Laura with frigid jade eyes over the rims of her coke-bottle glasses as she delivered the bad news. "I'm very sorry, my dear..." She said swiftly, not sounding very sorry at all about the failing grade she had given Laura. "But I'm afraid that was the grade I had to give you - it would have been a J, but we can't go that low in the alphabet. Now, I did see that you tried very hard, though..."

Laura groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead. This was ridiculous! In elementary school she had consistently scored in the top five of her class for mathematics. But she hadn't known that math would one day incorporate_ letters. _

"...So, I'm going to offer you a re-quiz, though I can't promise such opportunities in the future. It is so early in the year, and we all have mishaps. Can you stay after school today and take it?"

Laura nodded vehemently. She would agree to anything, so long as it got rid of that morbid F - and her parents wouldn't have to find out that she originally failed. She would simply have to tell Kana that she couldn't walk home with her today, and the re-quiz would be all set to go.

The teacher smiled warmly at Laura, and took out her bright pink pass pad and began to write Laura a pass to be late for her next class. "Study up before then, dear. I'm sure you'll be fine once you understand the material."

Laura, taking the pass from the teacher's outstretched hand, certainly hoped so. Too bad there wasn't a textbook on life. She could certainly use a crash course on the growing up chapter

* * *

.

"You've completely _lost_ your mind!"

Steel rolled his eyes for the fiftieth time that morning, slumping low in his throne. He was finding it very difficult to drown out Hamorette's chatter, but it was a price he had to pay in order to keep a watchful eye on her. Nikolai had installed a cage for the princess inside the throne room, since the dungeons below the castle had been destroyed four years prior, and Steel simply could not practice his maniacal laughter or plan for more hamster world domination with his pink-clad prisoner's incessant shrieking in the corner. He needed silence for such things. And she was _definitely _ruining his victory savoring...

"Steel, this is absurd! Release me at once! When I get out of this cage, I swear, you'll regret ever laying a paw on me!"

Steel sighed, rubbing his temples as her voice continued to wreak it's shrill havoc on his patience. If there was one thing he had to give props to Hamorette for, it was betrayal, and being able to give a ham a killer headache.

In a sarcastic drawl, he replied, "Well now, princess, I think that would completely defeat the purpose of my goal in life if I simply let you go. I went through an awful lot of trouble to capture you, after all."

Hamorette, paws still bound tightly as she sat propped up against the bars of her cage, glared viciously at him with narrowed jade eyes. After being hamnapped and flown briskly away from Dreamland, dragged into the ruins of Hamaustere Castle by her golden hair, having her best dress muddied and ripped during the process, and then being thrown into a damp, smelly cage in the corner of the throne room, she was not in the mood for Steel's little jokes - or much of anything, for that matter. Her hair was atrociously tangled, thanks to him, and if she got out of that cage, she wasn't going to take any prisoners.

"You will never get away with this Steel! My knights and the brave ham-hams will come and save me, and you will be no match for them!" She announced defiantly, trying to hold her head high, despite how weary she felt both inside and out. She could not show weakness to her unfortunate nemesis.

Steel chuckled lightly, turning around in his throne to face his captive. Cobalt eyes amused, he remarked airily, "Oh really? Well, if last night was any indication of how strong your knights and those ham-hams are, then I severely doubt I'll have any trouble defeating them..._again_."

He laughed heartily. Hamorette's cheeks burned with both fury and embarrassment. She had been trying to avoid thinking about the fact that Dreamland's forces had, in fact, _lost _the night before, and the mere mention of it made her prideful heart sink low. She had such high hopes in her knights and the heroes she had sent for, it was hard to realize that they had come up short when it mattered - and now, she was stuck in this dark, disgusting cell, reduced to nothing more than a damsel in distress. However, just because they had failed before didn't mean that they would give up hope...they had resilient spirits. And she would have to be brave for them.

"Why did you hamnap me, Steel?" She asked quietly, struggling to keep her voice even, eyes burning, so very much behind her gaze.

Steel tilted his head to the side with mock surprise. "Well, isn't it obvious?" He asked, in a far too innocent tone of voice. "How else would I be able to lure your _brave _heroes and knights here? I have to get the forces of Dreamland out of the way entirely, and this is the best way to do that! Besides, _dear _princes..."

Slowly, he got to his feet and crossed the room silently, so he was standing directly in front of Hamorette's prison, the cage so small they were almost nose to nose. He stared frigidly into Hamorette's jade eyes with his chilling cobalt, trying to keep all of the emotions churning in his locked-away heart from coming to the surface as he came properly face-to-face with the princess at last. She stared back resolutely not wanting to be the first to waver in their staring contest, despite the fact her heart was thundering in her chest at being this close to her unfortunate enemy for the first time in a very long time. She had forgotten how blue his eyes were, how coldly calculating, yet passionate...

"...You brought this on yourself."

Hamorette's eyes widened at his vicious, hissed words. "How...how do you mean, Steel?" She stammered, completely floored. She knew that he hated her father....but _her_?

Steel barked a laugh. "How easily you forget, Hamorette!" He scoffed, cobalt eyes dangerously narrow. "Your precious _daddy _is the one responsible for the fall of Hamaustere! The death of King Strom and his Queen! The deaths of dozens of villagers! The destruction of lives, and hopes, and dreams! How do I _mean_? _That _is what I mean, princess!"

Hamorette flinched, as if she had been struck. The memories of four years before began to surface again, painful and unwanted. Regardless, she held her head high and remarked, "I had no paw in that, Steel. That was my father's doing - I had no say in military matters of the time. I was young, naive..."

"Cut the innocent act, princess!" Steel snapped, obviously reverting back to his 'no-joke' mode of severity, eyes ablaze. "You knew of your fathers plans, and did nothing to stop him! You knew every hamster in Hamaustere would perish, while you and precious Dreamland reaped the benefits! You knew, and you didn't care! You are as much to blame as your heathen of a father!" He stared at the jewels and golden treasure piled in the room that he had pilfered from Dreamland the night he and Nikolai had stolen the Stone of Slumber, and he snorted in disgust.

"No...you and _daddy _would throw away hammos for riches and glory!"

Trembling with rage, Steel had to turn his back on the princess lest he delve into even more personal issues that he didn't want her to hear. She stared at him, his words echoing in her head, her mouth agape. Had Steel been repressing these emotions for this long, waiting for a chance to unleash them upon her? And was this how he truly felt...?

"Steel..."

"No!" He silenced her gentle voice with a shout - nothing she could say would sway him. "I don't want to hear any more excuses! You have condemned yourself to this fate, princess, and I am the one who shall bring it upon you, as revenge for the deaths that you had a paw in!"

Hamorette sighed deeply, hating this tension, this pain on his shoulders that now, as his words hit her, began to weigh a bit more on her conscience. "_He's been suffering this long, alone.._." It had been a long time since she and Steel had been reunited properly, and, ever since his rise to power and call for vengeance began to be heard, there had been something she had wanted to do, once the time came. Something she knew that would either enrage Steel, or make him falter....for it was the last reminder of her memories of that vibrant castle, and the gardens where she and her old companion used to play for hours each day in the warm sunlight...

She drew in a deep breath. It was all or nothing, now. "Sor - "

Before the name left her mouth, she found her nose frighteningly close to the pointed end of Steel's scepter, which he had shoved through the bars to silence her. He was breathing heavily, visibly infuriated, shoulders shaking with his pent-up emotions. The air fell still and silent, and Hamorette could have sworn her heart stopped when she saw the look in Steel's cobalt eyes.

"Never...._ever_...say that name again. Do you hear me? My name is _Steel_! _That _name is dead, now! It died with Hamaustere!" His voice was low and shaky, but deadly serious. Hamorette could only nod mutely, her last hope dwindling. The ham she knew from those long-ago days...where had he gone?

Steel turned abruptly then, and stormed off toward the door, not casting the shaken Hamorette so much as a second glance. "Nikolai!" He bellowed, recovering his commanding tone. "Come take watch over the prisoner! She wears my patience thin and I don't want to kill her before I have a chance to exterminate her little friends first!" And, with that, he vanished out of the room, little Nikolai scampering in a moment later to take up watch.

Once he was gone, Hamorette let out the breath she hadn't known she had been holding.

"His heart is too cold, now...." She murmured as she slumped against the bars of her cage, absolutely miserable as reality seeped in between her hopes. "The ham I once knew...is too far gone. It will be up to the ham-hams and my knights to show him the light, or else there may be no escape from his strength..." She rested her head against the bars and began to weep silently, hating the display of weakness.

But the one thing that bothered her the most was the fact that when she had almost said that name, Steel's eyes had not shone with anger, as usual.

They had reflected nothing but swirling blue turmoil.

And she was beginning to see that maybe, just maybe, she had had more of a paw in his pain than she first thought.

* * *

"Citizens of Dreamland!"

The congregated mass of brightly-dressed hamsters stood out against the dismal, drizzling grey morning, the frowns and worried expressions on their faces mirroring those of the ham-hams, who stood with Screech, Sprint, The Watchers, and Joy upon the stairs of Dreamland Castle. Joy's voice, powerful, rang out against the dull air like a signal of pending war, her amber eyes serious as she prepared to make the formal announcement that would likely send all of Dreamland into a frenzy of worry and sorrow. There were already whispers, inquiring about the unusual absence of their bright princess...

Hamtaro, to the left of Joy, glanced at the Protector of Slumber worriedly as she prepared to deliver the grim news. Her face was taut and composed, but the dark rings under her eyes symbolized both fatigue and defeat. He had offered to help her make the declaration, but she had declined - it was her responsibility to Princess Hamorette to inform Dreamland of Steel's attack. Screech and Sprint, decked out in knight's armor and poised on Joy's right, tried to look hopeful despite the horrors of the situation. The rest of the ham-hams, in a neat row beside Hamtaro, failed at all attempts to give reassuring smiles to the anxious crowd congregated at the base of the staircase.

It had taken nearly an hour to wake the slumbering hamsters in the courtyard, and another to organize this meeting to deliver the bad news to Dreamland. Now, the seemingly dulled blue streets were jam-packed with hamsters, ears alert, waiting to hear what Joy had to say to them - and in the chilly morning air, tinted with an ominous flair, it wasn't hard for the anxious crowd to tell that it wasn't good news she had to give.

"I bring to you this morning some unsettling news..." Joy continued, voice unwavering despite sorrowful amber eyes and trembling paws. "..I regret to inform you that late last night, after a terrible siege by our arch-nemesis Steel and his henchhams, Princess Hamorette has fallen into enemy paws. He was able to penetrate Dreamland's forces, and bring his nightmare to the minds of our peaceful kingdom."

The collective gasp that rippled through Dreamland like a wave made each ham-ham wince. Shocked voices exclaiming things like, "Our princess? Hamnapped?" or, "What can we do now?" rang out across the streets, and Hamtaro could feel his shoulders drooping. Dreamland had been counting on them, and they had let the entire civilization down!

Joy began to speak almost immediately, her voice loud and commanding as she tried to quell the noise that had sprung up with a false note of hope in her voice, "This is a terrible event for us all, Dreamlanders! He caught us off guard when we least expected it! But rest assured, preparations are being made as we speak for a counterattack against the villain Steel, in which we will reclaim the Stone of Slumber, our misplaced Protector of Slumber, and rescue Princess Hamorette!"

No cheers arose. No claps could be heard. Only dreary rain, pattering against all surfaces, and the chilling whispers of the forlorn crowd. Pure devastation had befallen the previously sunlit, cheerful kingdom. Pashmina had been surveying the crowd with saddened eyes, only to have her gaze fall on Uncle C and Skyla, standing nearer to the front of the congregation, holding paws and murmuring consolingly to one another. She recalled the request the older couple had made to reunite their broken family, and then, remembered the paw Nikolai had in the princess's abduction...it made her more determined than ever to bring that lovely couple their son back, and restore Dreamland to peace. If only they had a way...

"Do not fret, citizens of Dreamland!" Joy tried to sound reassuring, keeping her tone powerful and determined, eager to keep their spirits up. "We have endured tragedy before, and we must be brave in the face of this new peril! Princess Hamorette would want us to stay strong, so we must, for her sake!"

Hamtaro watched the crowd's reaction, and the burden in his heart was mended slightly when he heard a few murmurs of agreement, though a majority of the crowd remained in shock and sorrow.

Joy forged ahead, "You have nothing to fear, Dreamland. We have a sufficient number of forces to send out against the tyranny of Steel - and we plan to strike tonight, lest Steel grow stronger if we wait too long. Have faith in us Dreamland, and peace shall be restored by dawn! Trust in the power of the knights, and the brave heroes who have come to restore balance to the hamster world, for we shall achieve victory!"

Luckily, her impassioned words reached a few more citizens, and a small, but hopeful cheer rang out against the drizzling skies. It was small, but it was something, and even Joy and the dejected Dreamland knights had to smile faintly at the response they received. However, as with any crowd, the ham-hams were a bit stung as they heard a few skeptical citizens muttering and exchanging doubts, but they refused to let it bother them...outwardly, anyway. They already felt terrible for letting Steel slip through their paws, but they hadn't quite expected backlash from it. They hoped Dreamland knew that they had tried their hardest the night before...

Joy sighed, and was about to retreat, thinking that she had garnered at least some support, when an angry voice called out from the center of the hamster mass,

"Just _how _will you defeat Steel?"

Screech's eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on which ham had spoken - he recognized the hamster speaking as a routine trouble-maker. Hamtaro and Boss exchanged worried looks, as they could sense an ominous note in the air. To keep an uprising from occurring, Screech bellowed, "We will have a sufficient strategy by sundown tonight. No details can be released, as plans of attack are confidential!"

"Well, if you couldn't beat Steel last night, how are you going to beat him _now_? If we're the ones you're supposed to be protecting, then we have a right to know!" The same voice taunted.

This time, a few equally as disruptive voices muttered in agreement, seeing the trouble-maker's point. Bijou glanced worriedly to Hamtaro as she could feel a ripple of discontent surge through the crowd, eliminating what little hope there had begun to be before. The angry voices began to rise, and her heart began to race, sensing something horribly wrong. "Hamtaro! What ees going on?" Bijou whispered, blue eyes wide. "Why ees ze crowd angry?"

"Well hamgirl..." Stan, next to Bijou on her other side, replied out of the corner of his mouth as he tried to smile nervously at the crowd to keep appearances. "I don't think you'd be like, too happy if your princess just got hamnapped, now would you?"

Bijou frowned, her brow furrowing. "Oh, zis is 'orrible!" She fretted.

Hamtaro smiled soothingly at her, even though his emotions were a muddled mess as well, over the entire matter. "Don't worry Bijou....they're getting mad now, but once we save the Stone of Slumber and rescue the princess and Fury, I'm sure they'll be happy again! They're probably not even _that _mad..."

"The brave heroes the princess brought in must be useless, if they couldn't protect her when she needed them! Why should we have faith in failed endeavors?"

The newest angry declaration from the crowd got every ham-hams's attention. They exchanged frantic, worried glances, while Screech and sprint shifted so that they stood in front of the ham-hams, as a sort of protective, two-ham shield. Joy took her place beside Screech, and hollered, not wanting the crowd to get out of paw, "Please, calm yourselves citizens! Everything is under control! We have never steered you wrong before!"

"There's a first time for everything!" A new tone sneered sharply. "And _I _think you _can't _defeat Steel! Otherwise, you would have done it last night!"

"You let Steel fill our minds with a horrible nightmare!" A riotous female voice bellowed. "The minds of our _children _were unsafe from his horrible power!"

"And you expect us to trust _you_?!"

Joy, the ham-hams, and the knights listened with horror as the consensus of the Dreamland crowd quickly shifted from somewhat supportive to downright hateful as jeers and cruel sentiments wafted up the stairs to the castle. Through the bleak rain, insults to the ham-hams, Screech, Sprint and his heritage, and questions about Joy's ability began to circulate like wildfire, unable to be doused. The ham-hams felt stunned - how had the crowd that had eagerly anticipated their arrival turned on them so swiftly? In fact, the only two who seemed unswayed by the negativity were Uncle C and Skyla, who were glaring at the trouble-makers with distaste.

"We should have never allowed outsiders into Dreamland! This was a huge mistake!"

"They let Steel get away once, and they'll do it again!"

"Hey!" Uncle C's loud, deep voice rolled like thunder over the crowd, defending the ham-hams proudly, chest puffed out. "Hamorette trusted these brave heroes to keep Dreamland safe, and they will! We all make mistakes....we just need time to mend them, and we have to give them that! They will d what has been asked of them, and I know they will!"

One of the hamsters that had openly expressed his dislike fired back, "That's rich coming from _you_, Cumulonimbus! You have such faith in these outsiders when your own _son _- !"

"That's enough of that!" Skyla interjected sharply, though her voice wavered slightly.

"Don't bring my son into this!" Uncle C roared, visibly enraged as Skyla had to hold him back.

Joy protested, trying to sound strong as her voice sounded sharply, though most of her message went ignored, "Citizens of Dreamland, please! Do not let feelings of anger overtake you! We must stand strong and united in the face of this danger! Fighting with each other will solve nothing!" Unfortunately, it was as if the crowd hadn't even heard her, as they continued to spar verbally and jostle around, violently displeased with Joy's declaration.

Screech didn't have to be brilliant to notice that things had gone horribly, horribly awry, or to know that the ham-hams could, very possibly, be in danger. Turning eagle eyes onto the ham-hams, he hissed briskly, "Everybody, it'd be best to retreat into the castle for now. The chief strategist should be waiting for you inside - he wants to get the planning process started as soon as possible. Go now!"

"But what about the crowd? Can you handle them by yourself?" Siren asked concernedly.

Screech nodded, offering a quick smile. "We got it covered. Now go, quickly! I'm sure we can get them to calm down, but they started hurling sunflower seeds last time they weren't happy about an announcement, and we don't need any more broken paws...I don't think the dungeons can hold that many hams again..."

Hamtaro, and the others, for that matter, needed no further telling - they didn't want to have to face an angry mob, no matter how valiant they felt their efforts had been the night before. The ham-hams, after sending one final look of worry and sorrow at the clambering crowd, scampered inside the doors that Sprint held open for them, ignoring the jeers and discontented cries from the congregated Dreamlanders. Sprint pulled the door shut after Cappy, the last in line, had scuttled in, and the taunting voices became nothing but a buzz behind the wooden surface. However, the words still haunted their minds.

As he leaned his head against the door, Howdy murmured, "Gee, them Dreamland hams sure are testy! Yeh'd think they'd be a bit more grateful after we offered to help 'em out an' all...I mean, we did lose, but heke, we tried!"

Panda remarked grimly, crossing his arms over his chest, "It's going to take more than _trying _to please _that _crowd."

"Well, we'll just have to show them what we've got, and prove that asking us for help wasn't just a waste of time!" Hamtaro said proudly, puffing his chest out. His efforts did little to rouse some spirit from the ham-hams, and he felt his ears wilt slightly - sometimes, it was hard being ridiculously positive, when no one else agreed with you.

"Excuse me? Brave heroes?"

The hamsters turned to see a gruff looking hamster with a bushy iron-grey moustache and sharp brown eyes standing in front of them, dressed in knight garb."Brave heroes!" He greeted them with a stiff, formal bow, catching them off guard. "My name is Gale, Chief strategist of the Dreamland Knights. Yesterday, the princess informed me that a few of you wished to be on paw when we began the planning process for our plot to defeat Steel. The time has come for that stage."

He looked to them with imploring eyes, beckoning with one paw to the hallway at the left. "Would those hams she spoke to me about please accompany me to the Planning Room at once? We must think swiftly, if we intend to strike tonight!"

Dexter stepped forward bravely, chest puffed out. He may not have been confident with his brawn, but his brain capabilities were a different matter. "I would like to assist you, Gale, if that is quite alright!"

Boss also ventured forward, brown eyes serious and paws rolled into tight fists - he had not taken the loss the night before very well, and was confident in the strength of his body and his mind. "We'll take this Steel guy down, hams!" He nodded confidently to Gale, who gestured for Boss and Dexter to head down the hall ahead of him, and they complied, sending farewell glances to their friends over their shoulders.

Gale lingered for a moment, eying the remaining hams expectantly, though no more came forward, which seemed to irk the older ham. He turned his fierce eyes to Hamtaro, and spoke, "Hamtaro, is it? Hamorette told me - before her hamnapping, that is - that you seem to be the heroic type, and she expected much from you in the coming battle. Wouldn't you like to be of help with the strategy?"

Hamtaro chuckled and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I think the thinking is better left to you guys..." He replied with a very small smile. He was fairly sure his silver-platter plan from the siege the night before had been a fluke, and he doubted he had any more master plans lurking in the back of his mind.

Gale, not bothering with any small-talk, quickly turned to Siren, his cool eyes calculating. "And _you_, Guardian?" He asked frostily, crossing his arms over his chest.

Siren shook her head, intimidated by his edgy tone. She jerked her thumb at Hamtaro and remarked, also not confident in her mental capabilities, "What he said."

Gale snorted, and continued to eye the rest of them. "Two delegates is all you have to send?" He scoffed, obviously unimpressed with them - and the ham-hams exchanged worried, alarmed looks. "Then the loss last night is greatly understood, if you have so little to offer Dreamland!" The moustached ham spat. He was beginning to sound like the doubtful Dreamlanders outside the castle.

"Gale..." Screech spoke wearily but warningly, as he slipped inside the castle door, having caught the tail end of the older knight's insult while Joy continued to try and calm the crowd outside. The head knight took residence by his sister, while Sprint also came inside, shutting the castle door safely behind him. Eying his inferior with darkened blue eyes, Screech continued, "These ham-hams have offered to help us from the kindness in their hearts, and we should be thankful!"

"You're one to talk, Screech!" Gale sneered. "You _never _help with the planning either. No, you just go out there and gather all the glory for executing the plans that_ I_ make up for you...with no thank-Q, might I add....and you will always be the ones in the spotlight even though you and these _brave heroes_ screwed up..."

"Enough, Gale!" Sprint snapped, clearly not in the mood, tone sharp enough to make Siren and Bijou, nearest to him, flinch. "That's an order!"

The ham-hams stared wide-eyed at Gale, who clamped his mouth shut, though reluctantly. It was plain to see that he had more to say, and was struggling to refrain from it. After a brief moment, he returned his glacial gaze back to the ham-hams and queried, as civil as he could muster, "....Would anyone else care to join in the planning process?"

Maxwell, who had been standing silently toward the end of the line the entire time, sweating bullets, bit his tongue. He knew he should step forward - he was, of his circle of friends, the brightest and most calculating, and he considered the task of coming up with a strategy against Steel to be an honor. But, of course, his excitement over the matter had been before he had taken a book to the nose from the one he cared for most. If he was stuck in a stuffy room planning an epic battle, how could he come up with ways to prove to Sandy that she was _lovedove _to him? Each second, she was growing angrier with him, and his lack of tact for their relationship...and if he let the problem persist, he could not find a way to bridge the rift between them. And who knew what could happen in the fight against Steel, when they would both be facing possible destruction...

"Max?" Panda nudged him out of his thoughts with an elbow to the ribs, mild concern in his eyes. "Aren't you gonna go with them? You told Hamorette you were going to help out yesterday, and I'm sure they need you."

Maxwell's eyes clouded over. "_I know they need me...but I can't have Sandy mad at me any longer! She's much too important to me for that_!" He looked to the tiger-striped female, standing a little ways away, and he found that she was pointedly not looking in his direction, though most of the other ham-hams were, wondering why he hadn't stepped forward yet. Maxwell's heart sank. Sandy couldn't even look at him anymore...he really had messed things up this time, and he had a feeling that the damage would not be cured by simply refraining from the planning to try and think of ways to make it up to her, or trying to get her to talk to him. No, planning to save the hamster world from Steel needed to be done first...

Thus, with his head high and his new book tucked under his arm, the bookworm ham stepped forward. "I will be of whatever assistance I can, Gale."

Sandy couldn't watch as Maxwell marched proudly after Dexter and Boss, not even offering a backwards glance. Her heart sank further in her turmoiled chest. She hadn't spoken a word to him since their confrontation in the library - but was still disappointed that he hadn't even attempted to speak to her. In their previous fights he was normally the one who apologized first...but so far, there had been only silence between them. As he vanished from sight down the hallway, trailed closely by a disgruntled Gale, Sandy frowned, and could feel the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Excusing herself, she made a beeline for the girls bedroom, not wanting to be seen in a moment of weakness.

Bijou, Siren, Penelope, and Pashmina, watching her go, exchanged worried looks. They had noticed the night before that something had been bothering their tiger-striped friend - something deeper than Steel and his minions, and they had a hunch that she could use a crying shoulder right now. They could focus on fighting Steel later on, when a strategy was established - first, there was girl trouble to sort out.

"We'll catch up with you guys later! If you need us, we'll be in our room!" Pashmina quickly told the hamboys, before she and the other hamgirls took off in hot pursuit of a distraught Sandy. They disappeared down another hall and out of sight - leaving the boys in a cloud of confusion as to why the females had all departed so quickly.

Hamtaro blinked. "They sure left in a hurry. I hope they're okay..."

Stan sighed, slinging an arm over Hamtaro's shoulder. "You have much to learn, my clueless friend. The lovely ladies of our group - and Sandy - are probably just having a little bit of 'girl time' right now. You know, to help them wind down before our epic battle with Steel and all that fun stuff."

"Oh really, pretty boy?" Howdy retorted skeptically. "And what makes you so sure about _that_?"

Stan snorted, and held his head up, giving off his notorious, holier-than-though air. "Isn't it _obvious_, dear hammos? I, Stan - The Ham-Man - have an unparalleled understanding of the female nature. I simply know these things...I call it a gift, myself..."

Screech stared at Stan in awe, icy eyes wide. "_You _understand hamgirls?" He asked the tiger-striped flirt, tone somewhat marveling. "Wow, that's amazing! I mean, I've been with Fury for some time now, but when she gets mad at me or goes off with Joy or expects me to understand certain things that I don't have a clue about, I never know what's going on or what to do! She and Joy always have this 'girl time' and they go and talk about 'girl things' but it's all such a mystery to me! So, can you tell me what hamgirls do with their 'girl time?' I feel it would be very beneficial information..."

The rest of the hamboys, minus an equally as clueless Hamtaro, stared at Screech in dumbfounded disbelief. Perhaps he was a lot dumber than they had thought, if he believed the clubhouse trickster. Even Stan, the one claiming to have the knowledge, looked taken aback by the head knight's enthusiasm. No one ever took him seriously...it was about time someham did!

Panda, seeming doubtful of Stan's words, asked, voice carefully innocent, "Yeah, Stan. What's your '_gift_' say that the girls are talking about right now?"

Then again, he'd never really had to prove that he knew what he was talking about either...

Stan, craftily hiding his nervousness, replied with a demeaning chuckle, "Elementary, my dear Panda! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if the hamgirls were talking about flowers, ponies, and rainbows right about now....the epic battle against Steel is probably the furthest thing from their minds. Yep, I'll bet every seed I got on it!"

* * *

"Gee, I sure hope we'll be strong enough to take on Steel!"

Bijou, Pashmina, Siren, and Penelope had tailed Sandy back to the girl's room, where they sat on their respective beds, relaxing after a stressful morning and enjoying the comfort of beds they had yet to sleep in. Sandy had gotten there a good two minutes before them, and was currently curled up in a ball on top of her comforter, clutching her pillow and sniffling, facing the wall so not to show weakness to her friends. The hamgirls knew their sporty friend well, and knew that she would likely prefer to talk about what had made her flee in tears when she was ready to - and they were there whenever she decided it was time to let the wall down.

While they waited, they figured they might as well talk about something else. But not ponies or rainbows, for there were more distressing matters at paw.

Siren let out a deep breath and leaned back against her pillow. "You're telling me! He had me down and out before I could even bat an eye!" She recalled with a wince. "I've never been done in that easily and quickly before!"

Pashmina nodded, a worried glint in her eye. "I never imagined that sleep could be used as weapon! And Steel seems to be a master of it...hopefully, they'll come up with a great plan to take him down. What, with Dexter, Boss, and Maxwell..."

At the mention of the bookham's name, Sandy flinched, then curled into a tighter ball around her pillows. Bijou, Siren, Pashmina, and a somewhat confused Penelope exchanged worried glances, as they had caught sight of Sandy's nervous fidgeting. So, now they at least knew that something had upset her, and it likely had to do with her longtime boyham Maxwell...not a very good sign.

Bijou couldn't take it any longer - she had to know what was wrong with Sandy, if she wanted to find some way to console her hammo. "Sandy?" She queried lightly, voice soft, so she wouldn't provoke her friend's temper. "What is zee matter? You left in zuch a rush..."

Sandy, voice muffled by the fabric of her sheets, grumbled, "It's nothing."

Pashmina crossed her arms over her chest, eying Sandy skeptically. "Sandy...something has to be wrong. We hate to see you sad! Please tell us what's making you so upset....we're very worried for you!" The genuine note to Pashmina's voice made Sandy's resolve weaken slightly, as Penelope chipped in with her usual, "Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Sandy thought about it. She trusted the hamgirls with every secret she had, and knew that she could tell them anything and they would do whatever they could to make her feel at ease. Still, she hated to show how weak she was being over the whole situation with Maxwell...it took a lot to make Sandy cry, and even more to make her heart feel weakened. If she released her emotions, and told her hammos why she felt her heart was breaking, it felt as if the walls of her heart would crash down around her, irreparable. And if she didn't, the burning feelings in her soul would fester and grow until they ate her alive from the inside out, and leave her inconsolable. Which option was better? Sandy couldn't quite decide...both were decidedly awful.

Finally, with a long, drawn-out sigh that showed the presence of tears in her eyes, Sandy replied in a watery mumble, "I....I like, got in a fight with Maxwell..."

Bijou's brow furrowed with concern. "Zat is not good! What did you fight about?"

Sandy shrugged, clutching at the pillow tighter, as if it were her last line to life. She hated the tears that leaked out of the corners of her eyes, staining the comforter. "Like, I wanted to g-go sightseeing yesterday...b-but Maxy wanted to like, g-go to the library. So I, like, went with him, and thought he would want to like, go sightseeing a-after..." She squeezed her eyes shut tight, hoping to stop the streaming tears. "B-but all he cared about was his...his stupid books! So I like, threw a book at him and stormed off...and like, he hasn't spoken to me since!"

The hamgirls exchanged more worried, concerned looks. They had seen Sandy upset after a fight with Maxwell before, but never quite this distraught. Perhaps this fight had a more ominous undertone than all of the others....after all, they had made up almost immediately after all of their other minor squabbles.

"Sandy, I'm sure Maxwell is very sorry. He's probably just giving you some time to calm down before he comes to apologize...he would never hurt your feelings on purpose!" Siren chimed in, trying to be of help.

"B-but...like...he just went off to go and plan the attack on Steel! Like, I...I think he's blash-T with me too!"

Pashmina's heart sang out with sympathy for her friend. This was precisely why she avoided love for the time being - sometimes it hurt a heke of a lot more than it helped, in her opinion. Still, she hated seeing Sandy so distressed, and wished she could alleviate some of her pain. However, it seemed to her that consoling words could only do so much for a heartbroken hamgirl. It was out of their paws to cure her of this heartache; all they could do was try and help however they could, and she hoped Maxwell would know how to mend the situation. He was the only one who could make Sandy's sorrow dissolve...

"Sandy..." Pashmina soothed, crossing the room and hopping up to sit on the end of Sandy's bed, so to be closer to her crying friend. "Maxwell cares about you too much to let a fight like this come between you. I'm sure he's not blash-T with you..."

"H-he has to be! I-I like, hurt him too!"

Bijou, Siren, and Penelope followed Pashmina's lead and also plopped down on Sandy's bed, as if to circle her with kindness. Sandy felt their presence, and was only slightly annoyed...their attempts at helping her may not have done much to mend the ache in her heart, but she appreciated their care for her all the same - it was touching that they were so worried for her. "Oh, Sandy!" Bijou proclaimed, placing a warm paw on Sandy's hunched shoulder. "Boys are _zo_ clueless! Maxwell is probably just as confused as you are! Maybe 'e wants to apologize, but is afraid zat you will reject 'im?"

Sandy shrugged. Thinking of possibilities wasn't helping much. And words, no matter how well-meaning, sounded so hollow at the moment...her heart remained torn and pained, with unresolved questions and burdening emotions.

With a sniff, Sandy sat up, wiped her blurry eyes with damp paws and offered her hammos a small smile, though traces of lingering sorrow remained about her face. "Like, thank-Q, you guys..." She said in a teary voice, a small bit of her usual playfulness reentering her eyes, though sadness loomed supreme. "I, like, don't know what I'd do without hammos like you! But, like, I don't really want to talk about it anymore....like, let's talk about something else, okay?"

Pashmina smiled, but her eyes remained concerned. "Are you sure?"

Sandy smiled a bit wider, determined not to let her inner turmoil show. "Positive!"

The hamgirls were appeased for the time being, since Sandy showed some signs of improvement, but were prepared to keep watchful eyes on their friend, lest her emotions get the better of her. Bijou, trying to be as cheerful as she possibly could, chirped in a chipper voice, smiling brightly, "Well zen, what do _you_ want to talk about, Sandy?"

Sandy's small smile turned swiftly into a devilish smirk, as her spirits rose a bit. "Oh, like, I don't know..." she cast mischievous eyes onto Siren, who looked abruptly taken aback. "Why don't we talk about Siren and her like, _friendship _with Sprint?"

Eager eyes immediately turned to a baffled Siren, and four impish smirks made her cheeks begin to glow fire-engine red. "W-what?" She stammered, caught completely off guard by the change in topic. One minute, they're been trying to help Sandy feel better about Maxwell, and now they'd all turned on her! Accursed, short attention spans...

"Hmmm...now zat you mention it Sandy, Siren and Sprint were getting a little close at ze banquet last night, _non_?" Bijou teased, blue eyes gleaming with laughter and merriment.

Siren's face turned even brighter red and she scooted to the far side of the bed, as if trying to get away. "Um...I...don't know what you mean!" She protested weakly. Couldn't they talk about something else?! _Anything _else?!

Pashmina, following Bijou's lead, turned to the other hamgirls and added, "Come to think of it, Sprint seemed particularly worried when Steel attacked Siren last night! He even went and attacked Steel...and he looked pretty determined, might I add..."

Siren hated how her ears betrayed her, pricking forward slightly at the mention of this new information. Sprint had been concerned about her? She had been taken out of the battle so early, the rest of the night was a mystery...and she had been wondering why she had woken up next to Sprint, almost nose-to-nose. "He what?" She asked, azure eyes wide, all attempts at evasion abandoned

Sandy chuckled, feeling better already, now that the spotlight had been thrust onto someone else. "You bet! He like, looked super worried after Steel put you to sleep!"

Bijou tapped her chin. "And eef I remember correctly, ze two of you ran off after Screech yesterday afternoon, and did not come back until some time later! What were ze two of you doing, hmmmm?" She looked expectantly at the blushing hamgirl, determined to make Siren spill the seeds, no matter what.

Siren, bewildered, looked at each eager face of her friends and sighed. There was no way she was going to get out of this...not judging by the hungry-for-details gleams in her friend's eyes...

"It was just lunch, I swear!"

The squeals that ensued were enough to deafen anyone within a three mile radius, and Siren was sent flying off the bed from shock. Pashmina, face practically glowing, stared over the side of the bed at the stunned Siren and asked, tone jovial and eyes bright, "You had lunch with him, Siren!? Alone?! That's _so_ romantic!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"Well, we actually wound up in a fight with the waitress, but he _did_ hold my paw on the walk back..."

More squeals followed, but Siren had enough sense to cover her ears this time. "How positively wondachu, Siren!" Bijou marveled, as Siren sat up and rubbed a kink out of her neck, as she had landed on it awkwardly. "Zis ees zo unexpected zough! Do you like 'im?"

"I like, think her red face says it all!" Sandy quipped.

Siren's expression faltered. That was the question Siren had been struggling with since their dramatic outing the day before, where Sprint had confided so much in her, and she had felt like he was a friend she had known for years instead of hours. It had felt so nice to talk to him, and then, when he had held her paw....well, upon returning to the castle she had found herself not wanting to let go. Over and over, she had constantly reminded herself that she had only known him a day, and there was no way she could feel so strongly about someham, so fast...

"_I...I think I have to tell you something._"

His words from last night, the last ones he had spoken to her directly, loomed nightmarishly in her head. The pained look in his eyes, and the tremor in his voice as he had spoke to her at that golden table; they had alarmed her, and even given her chills...and Steel's attack had come before he had a chance to tell her whatever had been on his mind. Somehow, she could tell that whatever he felt he needed to tell her...was a bit more sinister than typical idle chatter. But since they had been interrupted, would he even bring it up again? Part of her hoped so, yet part of her dreaded it...what if whatever it was damaged their blossoming friendship?

"I...I'm not sure. And last night at the banquet he told me that he wanted to tell me something, but Steel attacked before he could say anything. I'm...I'm kind of scared to ask him what it was. It made him act so strange..."

The hamgirl's smiles faded as they saw the slightly distressed look on Siren's face. However, the last thing they wanted was two heartbroken hamgirls, so Pashmina piped up right away, "Well, why don't you go find him and talk to him? He was probably just really nervous...it must have been something important!"

Bijou, not wanting a replay of the Hamorette/Screech incident, added warningly, "But do not jump to ze conclusions, Siren! Just politely ask 'im what it ees 'e wanted to talk about!"

Siren contemplated that briefly. "You really think I should?" She wasn't exactly the most assertive hamster in the hamster world, but she had to admit that while Sprint's tone and the look in his arms had alarmed her, she was undeniably curious to discover what had made him act in such a way. And their friendship couldn't progress if she just stood around like a useless sack of seeds...

"Ookwee!" Penelope, hopping up and down on the bed, chirped encouragingly.

Siren smiled warmly at her hammos. "Maybe..maybe you're right. Next time I see him, I'll ask him for a moment alone..."

"No way, hamgirl!" Sandy interjected sharply, hopping off the bed and clamping her paws onto Siren's shoulders, pushing and steering her toward the door. Despite only knowing Siren a few weeks, she could tell that Siren was latching onto her usual, apprehensive behavior, and if she didn't have someone to shove her toward the action, she may never do it. And there was nothing like playing matchmaker to make her forget her own love woes!

"You like, can't just _wait_! You have to like, go and ask him right _now_! I know you can do it! Just be brave!"

"B-but..!"

Pashmina and Bijou scurried over to the door, opening it just as Sandy pushed a befuddled Siren through it. "And don't come back until you and _Sprint _have everything sorted out!" The three hamgirls, Penelope cheering in the background, chorused simultaneously, their tones teasing and light, but adamant.

Before Siren could protest, the door was slammed in her face and she could hear the lock click distinctly. Standing alone in the vast, empty hallway, she sighed and tried to calm her racing heart and scattered thoughts. Leave it to her hammos to force her to act, when she would have rather had proper time to plan what she wanted to say to the dashing knight...

Regardless, Siren meandered slowly down the hallway, azure eyes cloudy with thought, in search of Sprint, and hoping that once she found him, words would not be as difficult as they had been the night before. She felt, somehow, that there was very much she wanted to say to him, but just couldn't discern what exactly it was yet, like a code she needed to translate in order to discover the true meaning...

* * *

**CFB: **Hopefully, a nice long chappie makes up for my lateness. I'm really sorry! If it means anything, I'm kind of working on a three-shot that will feature SxM. I had a cool idea the other day, and balancing the two stories is kind of hard...

**Next time:** Laura's day continues it's downward spiral! Sprint has a talk with Siren and tries to be honest with her, but Panda and Screech intervene! How is the planning going for the attack against Steel? Plus, a couple of ham-hams partake in some interesting conversation...and Hamtaro wonders about the hero sleeping inside of him.

So, like...school is almost over. But I kind of...got a job. ~_waits for people to throw things at her_~ But it's part-time! So...hopefully, it won't interfere with my writing. I plan on writing a lot this summer! I was even contemplating a sequel to _RoN_, if my reviews surpass fifty...

Just so you know, my well of inspiration is drying up rapidly. And the well is fueled by reviews. Hint hint. I get tons of hits...it would be nice for some feedback, you know?


	14. Flash Flood

**CFB:** ...I'm probably the only one who's still in school, aren't I? **AND ON A RANDOM SIDENOTE:** A sequel is in pre-production, loyal readers! Read more about that in later chapters! And rereading last chapter I noticed I wrote, "_the look in his arms_" when I meant eyes. I really don't know why I wrote that...

**This time:** Siren catches up with Sprint, but will they be interrupted yet again before Sprint can tell Siren his secret? Looks like they have an obstacle in the way of their friendship....called Screech and Panda. Plus, Hamtaro wonders about the hero inside of him, some of the hams find an interesting book, and Laura has an important convo.

This chapter is dedicated to the song _**Sanctuary,**_ by Utada Hikaru, which I don't own, but it helped me write this chapter. (The Japanese version _**Passion **_is great too) One of my fave songs, I recommend it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hamtaro. If I did....well, let's not think about it. I own all concepts and characters not related to the original Hamtaro franchise, but some ideas I merely twisted for my own use, like Dreamland.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 13:**_ Flash Flood_

"If I were a Dreamland knight, where would I be?"

Repeating that question over and over in her mind did nothing to actually lead the hamgirl to her destination - rather, it resulted in Siren becoming utterly lost in the maze of hallways decorating illustrious Dreamland Castle. Everywhere she looked, there were beautiful tapestries and colorful artwork from ancient artisans illuminating the walls...but every hall looked so darn similar, Siren's brain was instantly foggy with confoundment.

"So much for these super-ham senses the Guardian is supposed to have..." Siren scoffed, peering around a corner in search of the ruby-eyed knight, and finding, instead, yet another identical hallway, vibrant and seemingly endless. At least this one contained some potted plants, for added color...

She had been searching for well over a half hour, and, after turning down another hallway and seeing nothing but windows and a couple of ham-cherub statues, decided that maybe the fates were sending her a message. Maybe she wasn't meant to find Sprint and have this conversation with him - after all, as she continued to think about it, there was greater possibility that whatever he had to tell her would be disastrous. At least, she became more convinced that whatever had been on his mind was sinister - secrets had that effect, she had learned so the hard way.

"Maybe..." She furrowed her brow, half-disappointed and half-relieved that she had not found the Dark Lander. "Maybe I'd better just stop looking...it was a silly idea, anyway..."

Siren managed to find her way to a staircase with relative ease, intent on heading outside for some fresh air to clear her cluttered head. But as soon as she stepped onto the landing, she looked up and came face to face with the very ham she had been looking for, and she gave a slight terrified squeal as she nearly bumped nose-first into him, catching him off guard as well as his crimson eyes widened. Maybe the fates were sending he a different message....attached to a heart attack.

"Siren!" Sprint exclaimed, taking a large step back, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!"

"Oopsie! I didn't see you either!" Siren professed with surprising vigor, feeling her stomach fall out from beneath her and it was replaced with a pure knot of nerves and worry. Imagining herself talking things through with Sprint was a lot easier in her head - now that they were seemingly on the verge of what seemed to her to be an important talk, all the words she had rehearsed sounded completely stupid and her tongue felt like lead.

A silence fell. Awkward and tense, not like their previous silences.

"W-what are you doing here?" Sprint asked, trying to be casual, and, unfortunately, failing miserably. It didn't help that he tried to lean against the wall and missed, nearly falling flat on his tail, though he managed to catch himself.

Siren gulped, unable to meet his gaze. To lie, or to tell the truth and be embarrassed beyond belief? That was the question, and a hard one at that. She stammered, stalling, "I was...just....uh..."

"_I...I think I have to tell you something_."

"...I was looking for_ you_, actually."

She was surprised that the truth tumbled out so easily, and nearly clamped a paw over her mouth in shock. Under normal circumstances, she would have never revealed that to anyham, for fear she would faint afterward. But somehow, she knew that it had to be said. She needed to tell him the truth, because she knew that there was something unspoken between them...and if nothing was ever said or shared, it would remain some kind of lingering secret, poisoning whatever fledgling friendship or whatever there was between them.

Sprint looked taken aback, and even pressed a paw to his chest, ignoring the rapid thud of his heart. "You were looking for...me?"

"Yeah..." Siren dropped her head, the intensity of his eyes too much for her. She drew in a deep breath, and, holding fast to the courage buried within her, went on, trying hard to keep her voice from shaking, "I, er...I wanted to....you said last night that you had something to tell me. But you...never got a chance."

The color drained from Sprint's cheeks, while Siren's flared with color. He had, in the aftermath of their loss to Steel, almost forgotten the secret he had nearly revealed to Siren. He had somewhat hoped it would also slip her mind, but he could see, despite her bowed head, that she was intent on learning what it was. His paws began to quake. He had been almost sure, the night before, that he was ready to share his secret with her...but now, whatever courage he had was failing. There was a long, heart-wrenching silence.

He had good faith that Siren was a good-hearted ham. He could tell, just after one afternoon.

But he feared that his secret would be too much for her, even with the resilience of the Guardian, to bear. And even if he had only known her for such a short time, and had previously dismissed all thoughts of love as idiotic and stupid, now he was beginning to see, with new clarity, that such star-crossed ideas had validity. And he was scared of losing that before it even began.

"...It's kind of complicated..."

* * *

"If everything goes according to plan, we'll only be here a couple more days at the most. That is definitely not long enough for them to get to know each other that well, right?"

"Right. And I _know _Sprint...he thinks smoochie is for fools!"

"But still, we should try to keep them away from each other, right?"

"Oh, definitely! We still have to be careful, though. Thankfully, Siren is a few months younger than him, and too young to know what love even is..."

"Well, they _won't _work together so long as we're involved. No matter what, we have to be cautious! If there's one thing I know about smoochie, it's that it's unpredictable, and they _were _getting a little too cozy last night at that banquet!"

"You can say that again, my friend."

Screech and Panda were finding their newfound comradery to be interesting, beneficial, and convenient, all at the same time. They were, essentially, killing three birds with one stone - keeping Siren and Sprint apart, defeating the unspoken awkwardness that had been between them over being brother figures to Siren, and becoming better friends, all while taking their minds off of the upcoming fight against Steel. Thus, the duo had (after a few minutes of plotting) decided to meander about the halls in search of Sprint, with the intention of taking him out on the town to keep him from Siren. However, they had yet to locate the knight, as he had wandered off after discussion with Gale had ended and his room had been vacant...

Screech sighed, as a hallway they turned down proved to be fruitless - or, rather, Sprintless. "Well, Siren's off having 'girl time' with the hamgirls right now, so that bought us some time..." The blue-eyed knight remarked with a small smile at his partner in crime. "I just wish Sprint was easier to track down."

Panda chuckled. "Me too! This castle is so big, I could get lost in it for days! But I guess it's both a good and bad thing...if we can't find Sprint, then he probably can't find Siren either!"

"_...I was looking for _you_, actually..._"

The duo's ears pricked forward at the sound of the familiar voice, wafting to them from somewhere around the adjacent hallway. That was Siren! Screech motioned with a finger to his mouth for Panda to be quiet, and the two of them sidled on silent paws against the wall, until they were just before the corner of the other hallway. Both leaned right up against the edge of the wall, listening hard, wondering who it was Siren could possibly be speaking to.

"_You were looking for..._me_?_"

Panda and Screech exchanged angry, yet bewildered looks as another familiar voice reached their ears. SPRINT?! They had been so sure they would be able to keep Siren away from the older ham, but they had somehow met up right under their noses! Tentatively, Panda peered around the corner. Sure enough, at the base of a stairwell, Siren and Sprint stood, an air of awkwardness and tension surrounding them - but their cheeks were flaming red. Panda paled. Things looked bad...

"How could this have happened!?" Screech whispered in horror, though his expression quickly morphed into anger. "Sprint is in for a tail-whooping if he lays a paw on _my_ sister!"

"Shh!" Panda hissed, clamping a paw over Screech's mouth, though he agreed with the knight's words. "I can't hear what they're saying!"

The two listened, craning their necks as far as they could toward the corner, so not to be seen.

"_Yeah...I, er...I wanted to....you said last night that you had something to tell me. But you...never got a chance._"

Were Screech and Panda's eyes to get any larger, they would have popped clear out of their heads. Dragging Panda a few inches from the wall to decrease their chances of being overheard, Screech whispered, enraged, "Sprint has something to tell her?! It's worse than we thought, Panda! Maybe they _do_ have a smoochie-connection going on..."

"Siren's cheeks were a suspicious shade of pink..." Panda muttered bitterly, though he shook his head to clear it, wanting to place all of his focus on the important task at paw. "We'll just have to work a little harder, and take more drastic actions!"

"Do you have a plan?" Screech inquired, tilting his head. He could see a storm of schemes brewing in Panda's bright eyes...

Panda smirked evilly, rubbing his paws together. "Well, we're going to have to eavesdrop of course, and then interfere if things go...you know...code red."

"Right!" Screech nodded his head, enthusiastic.

"But we're going to have to get closer if we want to be able to watch _and _listen."

Screech's brow furrowed. He rebutted, "We're not going to be able to get closer unless we want them to see us. That hallway is pretty much bare, so there's nothing to hide behind! And if they see us, they'll know we're spying on them...and Siren will never forgive us!"

Panda frowned, and began to swiftly look around for anything that would aide them. His gaze fell on two potted plants, full, fragrant and leafy, to his left, and the smirk on his face widened considerably. They were large enough to hide a ham the size of Boss, so concealing Screech and himself would be no big deal. Nothing suspicious about two plants, just sitting in a hallway...if they could sneak the plants around the corner, they'd be in full hearing and viewing range!

"I've got it!"

Less than ten seconds later, Screech and Panda were each holding a plant, only their pink toes visible beneath the golden foundation. They crept quietly to the end of their hallway, struggling only slightly with the weight of their burdens, and listened, just to be sure Sprint and Siren hadn't moved.

"_...It's kind of complicated..._"

Realizing that the pair were still conversing, Screech and Panda prepared to slide into position. They exchanged a purposeful look and took a deep breath, before, on silent toes, scrambling out into the adjacent hall. Once sure they were safely where they needed to be, they set the plants down silently and waited, hoping that neither ham by the now-closer stairwell noticed that there were now two plants sitting in the middle of the hall where there hadn't been plants two seconds ago. Screech and Panda held their breath, waiting out a long pause, sweat breaking out on their foreheads.

"D'you think they saw us?" Panda asked in as small a voice as he could.

Screech's eyes were worried, but he replied, "I certainly hope not."

There was another five excruciating seconds of silence, before Siren's voice could clearly be heard questioning, making Screech and Panda's heartbeats speed up considerably, "_I'm sorry....but....were those plants there a minute ago?_"

Both Screech and Panda mentally cursed. Had they been found out so easily? They supposed that plants appearing out of no where _was _a bit suspicious...

Sprint's equally as confused tone sounded a moment later, "_I don't remember them being there, either...but the princess and Joy are constantly redecorating this place, I'm sure we're just imagining things. They must have been there the whole time._"

Screech and Panda let out twin sighs of utmost relief. Giving each other a quiet paw-five, the pair finished reveling in their victory and, as silently as they could, rearranged the leaves of the plants so that they could peer discreetly out at Sprint and Siren, who were now in plain sight. They watched intently, squinting through the foliage, as the pair resumed their awkward encounter, both staring at the floor in front of their feet.

"Anyway....as I was saying..." Sprint continued, after clearing his throat. "I....I've enjoyed getting to know you, Siren. And....I really, really do appreciate what you did for me at the cafe yesterday, with that awful waitress..."

Screech and Panda's mouths dropped. "Cafe?" Screech mouthed at his co-conspirator.

"Yesterday?" Panda mouthed back, his temper flaring, all anger directed toward the crimson-eyed knight. Had Sprint and Siren somehow managed to see each other behind their backs, and when would they have had such an opportunity?! Maybe they _did_ have a bit more to worry about than they previously imagined...where the wheels of love already in motion for the unlikely twosome? Now, maybe Screech and Panda would have to speed up their efforts to keep the two separated...

"Really, it was no problem!" They watched as Siren grinned, her cheeks now glowing only faintly fuchsia, azure eyes agleam. "I was glad to do it."

One question raged through Panda and Screech's confused minds. "DO_ WHAT?!_"

Through the thick leaves, Screech and Panda could see that Sprint appeared to be very nervous - he was gnawing on his bottom lip and wringing his paws fretfully, crimson irises still focused steadily on the ground in front of his feet. Screech was perturbed by the sight; while he did not like that his best friend was 'schmoozing' with his little sister, he had never seen Sprint look quite so anxious before, and it was mildly troubling.

"Well...y-you see, Siren....I....I think there's just something I have to, you know....explain to you. It's not that I've been hiding something from you!" Sprint added quickly, cheeks burning, waving his paws out in front of him innocently and taking Siren by surprise. "I, erm...just haven't found the right time to tell you yet. It's kind of....important."

Siren felt her heart involuntarily speed up at his words, but it wasn't so much from excitement than fear. The terrified gleam in Sprint's eyes was unnerving to her. What he had to reveal must be serious...

"You can tell _me_, Sprint..." she said quietly, placing a warm paw on his shoulder to be of some comfort.

Screech and Panda exchanged enraged expressions from their hiding spot. "Is she _touching _him?" Screech asked, hoping that his eyes were deceiving him.

"Yes, I believe she is..." Panda remarked through gritted teeth, unable to tear his eyes from the sight.

"_Oh_.....now _both _of them are in for a tail-whooping!"

Sprint drew in a shuddering breath. All of his prior confidence had faded away, leaving his emotions a confused, jumbled mess. He knew that he had to tell her - there was no way around it. But if she were going to reject him after he told her - which was a distinct possibility - he preferred it to be after they already spent some more time together. And he supposed that was a bit selfish, but he couldn't help it. Siren's brilliant blue eyes had some kind of effect on him, and he wanted to look at them some more, before she heard the truth about his past and would likely begin to look at him differently, and not a _good _differently.

"Well..." Sprint smiled faintly, fidgeting with his paws to a lesser extent, though his heart continued to thunder. "Since the strategists are off planning and we can't do much of anything until they're done, would you like to go out to lunch again? We can...talk about everything. We'll just go somewhere other than the place we went yesterday, okay? There's something I need to get off my chest and I need a little change of scenery..."

Screech and Panda felt their anger skyrocket to dynamic proportions. Had Sprint just _asked her out_?!? For what appeared to be a _second time_?!?!? Just how far behind the ball _were _they?

Despite the ominous note in his voice, Siren couldn't help but offer him a tiny smile, to alleviate him from some of his stress. She was both eager and nervous, as butterflies began to do an anxious twirl in her stomach, but happiness overtook all emotions. "Yes!" She replied earnestly, bringing a beaming smile to Sprint's weathered face.

"NO!!!!!"

Panda and Screech shouted at the exact same time, shooting to their feet and betraying their hiding spot to the startled pair as they turned their gazes from each other and onto the spies standing by the suspicious potted plants. Realization settled onto a shocked Sprint and Siren like a bomb, and while Sprint's fur turned an embarrassed (and embarrassing) shade of magenta, Siren's cheeks burned crimson with anger as she realized her private conversation with Sprint had been spied on. Screech and Panda realized their mistake at the exact same time, and, in a vain attempt to calm an enraged Siren down, quickly uttered,

"Er....hamha?"

* * *

Lunch was, more or less, a sanctuary for Laura in troubled times, and she was hoping on that particular day it would be such a place. She could drown her sorrows in a turkey sandwich, and let the fresh air try and sweep all of her woes away on a gust. She and Kana took up residence on their usual bench, hoping that the ominous feelings surrounding her friends would somehow vanish completely....all she was asking for was one simple hour of peace and relaxation, even though the black clouds looming above looked greatly menacing...

"Laura! Hey, can I borrow you for a sec?"

Laura was mid-bite into her sandwich when Travis's unusually cheerful voice summoned her from behind. She flinched, though she was surprised that butterflies did not assault her insides, as they used to - it would take some time to adjust to their absence. Kana sent her an inquisitive look, surprised to see her friend react negatively to a call from Travis, but Travis was upon them in a matter of seconds, leaning his arms on the back of the bench between Laura and Kana and grinning hugely at the girl he had called.

"Hey, Travis..." Laura replied, a bit uneasily. Travis looked exceptionally happy, but something like that was suspicious, given the conditions. These days, the scowl seemed permanently etched into his face, though there wasn't a trace of it now.

"Hey!" His grin grew wider, eyes shining. Now Laura knew something was definitely up. How had his dark mood vanished so swiftly, when it had been hovering over him like a full-to-bursting storm cloud for the past week? The raven-haired boy jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the open double doors that led inside. "Do you think I could talk to you privately for a minute?" He turned his strangely chipper gaze onto Kana. "I'll have her back soon, I promise."

Kana just stared at him openmouthed and nodded. Laura, brow furrowed, replied thoughtfully, "Yeah, I guess..." as she put her lunch back into her lunchbag and brushed her hands off on her denim shorts, following Travis's lead toward the doors. She sent a furtive look at Kana over her shoulder, but all she saw was a look of total confoundment from her bespectacled best friend and a shrug of her thin shoulders.

As she followed closely behind Travis toward the school building, she was struck with a realization. Hadn't Roberto said something during their last conversation....?

"_Travis was talking about you at lunch earlier today, so you might as well go for it. It's what you wanted, wasn't it?"_

Laura's eyes widened as Travis opened the door for her to step through first. She felt a knot form tightly at the pit of her stomach, as if it knew something bad were about to happen. Suddenly, the entire hallway, which was only sparsely filled, seemed to grow oddly colder. Roberto's words rang clear in her head, accompanied by his pained expression, and she realized that maybe, just maybe, she didn't want this conversation to happen at all...

"What is it, Travis? Laura asked, her eyes stormy with indecision.

Travis chuckled. "Well, actually, there's something I kind of wanted to talk to you about..." He looked at a colorful poster tacked to the wall on his left. "You know about the fireworks festival the night after next, right?"

Laura had heard of it, but, as of late, had more important things on her mind. Drama had, after all, practically consumed her life. "Erm, yeah, sure..." She replied, an ominous feeling settling over her shoulders like a cloak. She did not like where this was going, and wished that Travis would just stop talking...

"I was wondering, if you didn't have anyone else to go with, if you'd like to go with me?"

Laura's eyes widened. And there it was...the question she had been waiting for since fifth grade, and the smile she had wished to be directed at her for what felt like decades. And now that it was all happening, she felt her heart crumple a little. Roberto's words rang once again in her head, and she realized that she _didn't_ want it. This smile from Travis, and his imploring gaze, she didn't want any of it. All she wanted was for things to go back to normal, because, in her heart of hearts, she knew that Travis _wasn't _asking because he was genuinely interested, he was asking because he was heartbroken and confused. Lingering anger and sadness was making him do this. He was trying to move on in whatever way possible, just as Mika had, and Laura could see right through it - and she didn't want any part, even if it _had _been genuine. That part of her life was over now....now, she wanted something else.

"Travis..." Laura stared at the floor and bit her lip, hating how bitter the words tasted on her tongue. "I...I can't do that."

Travis looked like he had been punched, but recovered coolness swiftly. "Why not?" He asked airily, crossing his arms over his chest, though Laura detected a faint hint of anger in his tone. Clearly, he had not been expecting a rejection from his query...

Laura shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "I can't go with you Travis, because...well, because it's just not a good idea. You're..." She drew in a deep breath, like she were about to plunge into the icy depths of some black ocean. "I know you're still upset about the whole Reese and Mika thing, and you're feelings have been hurt...and you're confused..."

Travis's eyes widened, and Laura flinched involuntarily. He had obviously not expected their conversation to take this turn. Eyes smoldering, he responded through gritted teeth, "I'm over it. What Reese and Mika do with their lives is their business!" His lie was easily heard as he tried to maintain his calm.

Laura raised glassy brown eyes and smiled weakly at Travis. She could see the pain hidden in his expression. Young love, broken and ruined. It didn't feel good - she could attest to that. But there were ways to mend it, and she knew where the path toward that healing began.

"Travis..." Her voice was soft. "She...she wants to apologize."

Travis froze, his eyes as round as saucers. There was a long pause, but Laura managed to keep her eyes on Travis's ever-handsome, turmoil-ridden face, standing firm. He had to hear this...he couldn't keep burrowing himself in anger and hate, lest he lose that kind, caring person he was before the life of a junior high boy had swept him into drama and strife. He gaped at Laura for a moment, before his eyebrows knitted angrily together and he spat, making Laura wince again, "And what, she couldn't do it herself, so she asked _you _to? Because I don't want to hear any of that! She couldn't even tell me all those things to my face!"

His voice was resonant, but vehement, and the few students standing in the hallway turned to stare at the pair, but they paid the bystanders no heed.

Laura's heart skipped a beat, but she recovered and replied, her voice stronger now, "Travis...I think you need to talk to her. She...she explained everything to me, and...while I'm not saying that what she did to you was right, I think you should at least hear her out. I can see that you're hurt, and I hate to see my friends hurt..." Her gaze turned imploring. "...so maybe finding some closure would take the pain away...?"

Travis stared hard at her, but she no longer felt uncomfortable under the heat of his gaze. He didn't appear convinced, so Laura forged on, gulping down some more of her fear,

"You know what I always liked about you, Travis? When we were in elementary school, whenever someone accidentally did something to you, or even did something on purpose, you always forgave them. I'd...I'd always admired that. You even forgave Roberto for the thousands of fights you had!"

The anger in Travis's gaze seemed to falter. He appeared to be considering her words.

"And I honestly do think that all of this can be resolved...and I know it has to hurt, but maybe, if you just talk to Mika, all of this madness can stop. So...just give it a chance, okay? I promise you won't regret it."

As the words fluttered past her lips, Laura couldn't help but feel a sudden lightness in her heart, as if a heavy burden had been dismissed from it. And she felt even better as she watched Travis's infuriated expression change slowly into one of contemplation, then realization, and then, the slightest of his old smile. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his soccer shorts and chuckled in disbelief, hanging his head so a few raven strands were falling into his eyes. Laura straightened her shoulders, surprised, but pleased by his sudden change in mood.

"You know what, Laura...." Travis said slowly, some of the pain alleviated from his eyes. "That was exactly what I needed - a wake-up call. I....I guess I've been a bit of a blockhead, haven't I?" He asked, wincing a little as he recalled his actions from the past week. "It's just...I just...oh, never mind. Can you forgive me for being such a jerk? I didn't mean to drag you into any of this..."

Laura returned his smile. "Of course! What are friends for?"

He extended a hand for her to shake, and she did so with an enthusiastic flair. No butterflies, just contentment. Now, he truly seemed like his old self, even if he didn't have the same effect on her. "_Even his smile is the same!_" She thought, inwardly cheered.

"I'll see if I can talk to Mika tonight and straighten everything out...." He looked a bit apprehensive, but then a flash of anger resurfaced on his face. "I'm willing to hear _her _out, but I will _not _talk to that back-stabber Reese. None of us would even be in this mess if it weren't for him. No matter what...." Travis looked frighteningly insistent. "I'm not going to listen to anything he says!"

Laura opened her mouth to say more, but refrained, thinking better of it. At least he had agreed to speak with Mika...that was _some _progress. Perhaps the rest would come with time.

Travis sighed then, and looked up to Laura with his old, achingly-familiar friendly smile. "Thank you, Laura..." He said earnestly. "You've always been such a good friend to me, and I'll always appreciate that. Now, I'm actually glad you turned me down for the fireworks festival. Because..." His smile turned into an impish smirk, and he winked mischievously at the startled brunette. "I actually know of someone who wanted to ask you a heck of a lot more than I did! Catch ya later!"

He had waved goodbye and disappeared around the corner before Laura could even ask who Travis was talking about, though she had to admit, a surging hope shot through her heart as Travis said those words, as new desires began to make themselves known in the forefront of her heart...

Laura sighed, conflicted again, and leaned up against the wall. One part of the endless problem had been resolved, but she felt like there was still a long way to go before everything could resume normalcy. And she had a feeling that she needed to have a very important conversation with a certain orange-haired boy, if she ever managed to find him...

* * *

"Howdy, are you, uh, sure we can do this?"

"Relax, Oxy! The princess said we was allowed to go anywhere in the castle we wanted! A little bit of explorin' would do ya some good, big boy!"

"Yeah, and we may never get to see a real-life castle ever again! So we have to enjoy it while we can!"

"Well-said, my lovely little scarf-wearing - "

"Stan, if you like, dare to finish that sentence I'm going to stuff you into that vase we just passed."

"Aw, you _never _let me have any fun!"

"Guys, what if there are _ghosts _in here?! Kip and Sue read a story to me one time about a castle that was haunted by _hundreds _of ghosts!"

"Ookwee!?"

"Don't worry, you two! I'm sure Dreamland Castle is ghost free....er...right, Howdy?"

"Yer darn tootin', Pashmina my dear! Why, the scariest thing yer gonna find in this old place is Oxnard, har har!"

"Hey! I resent that..."

Howdy triumphantly turned a corner, chest thrown out as he led Oxnard, Pashmina, Stan, Sandy, Cappy, and Penelope down the massive hallways of Dreamland Castle. After sitting around for a good twenty minutes with nothing to do while they waited for the plan to be formulated, they had decided to adventure a bit within the walls of the castle, considering it was raining quite heavily outside by this point and they weren't too sure that the Dreamland citizens were exactly fond of them anymore, after that morning's meeting. The convenience store ham had elected himself leader, in the absence of Boss and Hamtaro (who had strangely decided to sit out this one), and though Stan had put up a bit of a fight on the issue, the rest of the hams had decided that it wasn't worth bickering over.

As they wandered along the third floor, looking for anything interesting, Pashmina marveled at the intricate artwork posted all long the sleek marble walls. "This place is so beautiful!" She commented, running a gentle paw along the wall as she walked, though careful not to touch any of the intricate decorations.

"Not as beautiful as you, Pashy-baby!" Stan complimented smoothly, sidling up to the scarf-wearing ham and grinning at her. "Why, a gorgeous ham like you puts all these masterpieces to shame!"

"Oh...er, how nice of you, Stan..."

Sandy, not in the mood for any of her twin brother's antics after her emotional upheaval that afternoon, grabbed Stan gruffly by the ear and dragged him up to the front of the line, to walk with Howdy, who also resented any passes the tiger-striped flirt made at Pashmina, the apple of his eye as well. Each time Stan made a move to go back and speak with the golden-furred ham, Sandy and Howdy grabbed his arms and held him firmly in place, while he muttered repeatedly under his breath, "This is _so_ uncool..."

Oxnard, nibbling on a carrot cupcake the chef in the kitchens had given him, looked around the castle with smiling eyes. "Maybe we should try and convince Boss to redecorate the Clubhouse like this! You know, make it a bit more....fancy."

Cappy giggled. "Somehow, I don't think a tough ham like Boss would want his home to look _fancy_! He's too cool for that kind of stuff!"

"Hmm...good point - hey, look there! That door's open!"

The group halted so quickly that Oxnard, Pashmina, Cappy, and Penelope nearly toppled into Stan, Sandy and Howdy. Oxnard was pointing a few feet ahead of them, at the end of the hallway, where, sure enough, a door, painted cerulean blue, stood ajar. It was the first open door they had encountered on their foray, and their interests were piqued. However, the pouring rain and dismal grey skies outside the windows had given the castle more of a creepy, haunted-mansion esque air about it, and finding an open door at the end of an otherwise desolate hallway made the fur on the back of their necks stand at attention.

"What do you think is in there?" Cappy asked, voice awe-struck, still young enough to be enraptured by the simplest of things. His ears were pricked forward, eyes bright and eager, surprisingly unafraid.

Howdy, trying to look like a professional, puffed his chest out further and remarked, "Why, I guess we'll never know until we look, now! C'mon, y'all! Let's go take a gander!" He motioned toward the door with one paw and began to venture bravely ahead, dragging Stan along with him so he wouldn't pester Pashmina.

"Do you think it's okay? I mean, what if it's like, somebody's private room?" Sandy asked as they neared the mysterious door.

"Relax, Sandy! If we weren't allowed ter look around, why in heke would the daggone door be wide open? It's practically beggin' us ter have a looksee!"

"Well, like, I _guess _you're right..."

Upon closer inspection, the small group saw that the room was pitch black, save for a dimly burning torch attached to the far wall that cast inconsistent light over all that it touched. Tentatively, Howdy pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside, the scent of musty pages and dust reaching his nostrils. He walked further inside so that the rest of the hams could file in, and they each took an interested look around the chamber-like room. It was very different from the other rooms in the castle, with a dark, dreary sort of appearance, and two large bookshelves against the left wall. In front of them was a small desk, old but sturdy, decorated with numerous parchments and papers that looked orange in the firelight. A calendar hung above the desk, with the current date circled in blood red ink.

"Well, what do we have here?" Howdy asked, venturing forward to the desk and examining it closer, giving it a good _hiffhiff_. "Looks like this is someham's office or study or sumthin'. Looks kinda like the office my owner has back home, not that he ever does any work anyway, har har!"

Pashmina inspected a bottle of black ink on the corner of the desk, from which a fluffy white feather jutted as a writing utensil. "I wonder who uses this place..." She wondered aloud, Sandy at her side. "It looks pretty old, but since there's a torch burning in here, I'm guessing that it's been used pretty recently...." Somehow, the scarved ham couldn't shake the feeling that they were trespassing...intruding somewhere they didn't belong.

"Ookwee!" Penelope had busied herself with some scrap paper that had fallen to the stone floor, uninterested in much else.

"Well, it could like, use a bit of a spring cleaning, if you ask me..." Sandy eyed the paperwork on the desk and the somewhat-dusty bookshelves with her nose wrinkled in distaste, as it reminded her of the incident in the library the day before. Luckily, Cappy distracted her from her wandering thoughts as he jumped up on the chair pulled up to the desk so he could get a closer look, and, eyes eager, he pointed to a fraying, worn-out book that was propped open on the desk, partially concealed by a heap of yellowed parchments.

"Wow! That book looks like it's three thousand years old! It looks even older than that book of legends Maxwell had a few weeks ago!"

Howdy, intrigued, cleared away some of the clutter on the desk and tugged the rather large volume toward him. It was a hefty book, and as he pulled it off the desk he staggered slightly under it's weight. The writing was faded and old, so Howdy lugged it closer to the torchlight, and set it down as gently as he could on the floor so he could read it better. "What do we have here....? Maybe we'll find out who's been usin' this room..." He murmured distractedly, as he squinted hard at the faint writing, the other ham-hams crowding close around him as he tried to decipher the words.

"I'll bet it's just a bunch of random mumbo-jumbo..." Stan scoffed after a few seconds, a look of pure skepticism on his face. "Like, let's go downstairs and see if any of those maids Hamorette has are on their breaks yet..."

"Yeah, and I'm getting kinda hungry..." Oxnard volunteered.

"Just wait a second!" Pashmina chipped in. "I want to see what the book says!"

Reading carefully, Howdy, confident he had figured out most of the writing, began in a slow, careful voice, "A lot of the writin' is smudged or too old to read, but I got some of it...I can't figger out the title, bu the first sentence is, '_It is a curse far unlike any other, often driving those hams it curses into madness as the years pass_. _There is no known cure, but hams have been known to live long, healthy lives regardless of their condition - though it is a somewhat small percentage of those who live a fulfilled life with such a burden._' And then it gets all smudged again..."

The air in the room seemed to become thinner, and harder to breathe. The ham-hams exchanged worried, but curious looks as Howdy, using his paw to trace his progress on the page, went on, voice quivering only a bit, "Then it says, '_Legends say that the beast is brutal and it's first instinct is to kill. Others say it is a misunderstood beast and adopts the personality of it's host hamster - though this thought is far less common. But all legends have one thing in common...the beast is one of the most dangerous creatures known to hamkind, legend or truth._ _There have been many accounts of encounters with one of these creatures, but no solid proof has ever been uncovered_...'...I can't make out this next bit..."

Sandy and Pashmina looked at one another with cloudy eyes. Their past with legends had been less than pleasant, and these sounded even worse...

"Here we go... '_Of all hamfolk tales, it is one of the most popular, and the widest speculated. Real or not, should a ham-ham ever encounter one when the moon is full and it's eyes blaze red with bloodlust, the best option is to run away or face an untimely, and likely gruesome, death at it's claws_.' Well now! Don't that sound just _lovely_, har, har!" His laughter, however, was nervous.

Howdy was about to turn the page, the rest of the ham-hams leaning forward in the flickering light with anticipation, when a sharp, commanding tone barked from the doorway,

"What are you all doing in here?"

The ham-hams, nearly jumping out of their fur, whirled around to see Joy standing in the doorway, her expression one of bemused concern. She was about to ask them another question when she spied the large book on the floor, and all color drained from her face. In one long, purposeful stride, she crossed the room and, with a flick of her wrist, slammed the book shut with the tip of the Staff of Dreams, all before the ham-hams could blink.

Joy, eyes somewhat angry as the eyed the startled hams, questioned them, "How did you get in here? Normally this room is locked - no one is allowed to be in here!" She sounded vehement, pushing the book away with her Staff so it skittered across the floor and out of reach.

"We're sorry, Joy! We didn't know it was off-limits!" Pashmina professed, bowing her head, not liking the anger their had incited from the golden-furred Protector of Slumber - and surprised that Joy had reacted in such a way in the first place. "We just decided to go exploring for a little bit, and we came upon this place!"

"Ookwee!" Penelope piped up, bobbing her head.

"The door was wide open when we got here, honest! We would have come in if it had been closed!" Oxnard added, trembling a bit as he nibbled delicately at the remains of his carrot cupcake. He didn't like the fury in Joy's amber eyes, as there was normally nothing but happiness there whenever she spoke to them.

"Gee Joy, we didn't want ter break any rules! We was just curious!" Howdy added, looking down at the floor in shame.

Joy eyed them all with burning amber orbs, before the fire faded, a sure sign that he believd heir innocence, which was a relief to the ham-hams. "You say the door was open?" She asked softly, her eyes flickering to the book she hd sent sliding across the room, with a melancholy, dry curl of her lips. "He never was one to remember to lock up after himself..."

"Who?" Cappy asked, ears twitching.

"Screech..." Joy replied, beckoning for the ham-hams to follow her back into the hallway. Once everyone had filed out of the chamber-like room with the strange book, Joy shut the door firmly, and then tugged on it - and it didn't give under her paw, so it had clearly locked behind them. With a sigh, Joy turned back to the ham-hams and explained, "I'm sorry I snapped at you - but it's Screech's own fault for leaving the door hanging open. That's his study...he doesn't like other hams to go in there. Sometimes he forgets to lock up..."

"Screech has a study?" Stan asked, eyes wide. "The dude didn't strike me as the type of ham who likes _studying_ things."

Joy smirked. "Well, he's not exactly studious, but he's...he's a glutton for knowledge on certain topics. Legends, myths...that kind of thing. Anyway, he conducts research in there, but that's about it. Fury hates it when he locks himself up in there, but, sometimes, he gets so absorbed in reading he won't come out..."

Howdy and Oxnard exchanged a worried glance. Did a mysterious curse fall under the category of Screech's studies?

For a moment, Joy achieved a faraway look, but she shook it off quickly and resumed smiling brightly. "Well, now that everything's resolved, feel free to look around the rest of the castle! I'm going to go sit in on the planning meeting, so I'll see all of you later! It may be wise to prepare yourselves mentally for the battle that is to come!" and, with no further explanation of the mysterious room, the Protector of Slumber sprinted off down the hallway, gone with a flip of her magenta bandana.

Once she was gone, the ham-hams let out deep breaths. They had certainly learned their lesson about wandering into open doors! However, what they had encountered beyond the door was troubling. They had no idea what it was that book had been speaking about, with it's talk of curses and madness and killing...and why on earth Screech would be reading about such things! Whatever writing had faded, it held the truth that they simply couldn't figure out...and it made them feel like a dark, thunderous cloud was hovering over them, waiting to downpour...

"Whatever that book was talking about, I hope it isn't real!" Pashmina said with a small shudder, recalling the chill of the words on the fraying page.

And the other hams couldn't help but nod in agreement.

* * *

"Ah, Snoozer...what's it all about?"

Hamtaro, in an unusual bout of low spirits, had opted out of Howdy and the gang's adventuring in the castle, choosing instead to lay spread-eagle on a bed in the hamboy's room as the rain pounded against the window to his left relentlessly. As all of the other hams had something to keep their time occupied, his only companion was Snoozer, who didn't appear to have moved since the day before, when they had placed him on his bed after arriving in Dreamland. Nevertheless, Hamtaro considered him good company.

"I mean...we didn't lose _once _to Spyke! I mean...we only fought him once, but still! I feel like somehow we failed already with this whole thing!" Hamtaro professed honestly, eyes hazy with concern. Truth be told, his low spirits had been caused by the siege the night before, and as a result he had lost most of his cheerful tenacity.

Snoozer gave off a large snore, and then a fluttering, "Zuzuzu..." He squirmed a little, as if from a nightmare - which was a likely possibility. Joy's protective fortress made with the Staff of Dreams only protected a small amount of the castle, now, while the rest of Dreamland was exposed - and even her last minuscule defense was weakening.

Hamtaro sighed, turning his head on the pillow slightly so he could stare out at the dreadful grey skies, and various rooftops of the Dreamland buildings, like mushrooms in a sparkly blue field. Each time Hamtaro thought of their failure, he gave off another, deep sigh, the curious fire in his heart stirring ever so slightly. His eyes were droopy with sleep, but he knew that if he dared allow himself to drift off he would likely experience the horrid nightmare again, and that wasn't something he wanted to go through again.

"Oh, Snoozer...I wish I could just sleep the day away in a sock, sometimes!" Hamtaro murmured, glancing over at his hammo with a weary, faintly-sad smile, envy in his brown eyes. "It would make this hero business a lot less stressful!"

"Zuzu...not always easy, being me....zuzuzu..."

Hamtaro sighed again, worry evident, a mish-mash of troubles brewing in his heart. "You can say that again, Snoozer! It's not easy being me either! Sometimes...especially lately....I don't even feel like _I'm_ being me!"

"Zuzuzu..."

"I mean..." Hamtaro went on, gesturing emphatically with his paws, just happy he had a ham to confide in, asleep or not, "I know I'm _me_, and all, but..ever since I went to that Chamber of Peaceful Rest yesterday, I've felt really different! Kind of like...there's a side of me I don't really know! Have you ever felt that way, Snoozer?" Hamtaro implored, glancing over at the snoozing ham.

"Zuzuzu...a ham-ham often has more than one side to them, you know...zuzuzu...like an... octagon..."Snoozer mumbled. (1)

Hamtaro absorbed that with alert ears, dissecting it in his brain. "But...what if one side is completely different from the other?" He asked, fiddling with his paws a bit. Eyes glazing over with thought, he continued, the fire in his heart churning slightly. "I don't...I don't want to change into some other ham!" He squeezed his eyes shut again, paws laying limp at his sides, as if to relinquish himself to a vulnerable weakness.

That thought had been worrying Hamtaro immensely, starting when he had developed his new heroic persona at Hamwall and heightening after his visit to the Chamber of Peaceful Rest the day before. He could feel that power, that alter-ego sleeping deep within his resilient soul. It awakened whenever the ham-hams or Hamtaro himself were in peril, completely changing who he was as a ham in a matter of life-and-death. And while he had to admit his braver, more heroic persona was helpful when the ham-hams were in a fix, he wasn't so sure he liked losing all of his old personality in favor of the one slumbering inside his heart. He liked being cheerful, if-naive Hamtaro just as much, if not more, than he liked saving hamkind! What if he ever had to choose between them? The hero, or the ham?

"I...I just..." Hamtaro buried his head in the pillow, trying to drown all noise out as he tried to calm his confounded mind. "I just wish I could be both hams at once! I just hope I don't have to decide to be one or the other someday! Because I don't know who I want to be more....the hero, or the ham?"

Unfortunately, with his head nestled deep against the pillow, Hamtaro did not hear Snoozer's next fleeting spurt of advice.

"Zuzuzu...the ham and the hero....like the sun and the moon....zuzuzu...one cannot exist without the other....zuzuzu..."

* * *

Around midday, Steel's excitement had built to vast proportions. He had so much pent-up energy he found himself meticulously organizing the fortune he had pilfered from Dreamland the night he had stolen the Stone, and, once that was completed and an ill-looking Fury had unleashed some more nightmares against the weeping sky, he decided to go and have a look out the balcony in the throne room, so he could mentally plan where Hamaustere would be rebuilt by the soon-to-be-enslaved Dreamlanders and others under his whim...

An exhausted Hamorette and fidgety Nikolai were still in the throne room, captive and captor, but Steel said nothing to either of them as he walked in, walking with a purposeful stride. He threw the doors to the balcony open, making Nikolai flinch, and stepped out onto the balcony, inhaling the misty air with a devilish grin and not caring that rain droplets were cascading all over his face and trickling down his fur.

"It all begins tonight..." He breathed, still not convinced that it was all real.

Princess Hamorette, staring at Steel's back from her imprisonment, stifled a whimper. Her muscles ached from being cramped, and though she desperately wanted to, she didn't dare fall asleep for fear of having the dreaded nightmare. Purplish rings had developed under her drooping jade eyes, but she kept them open defiantly. Her mouth was completely dry, preventing her from speech, although she didn't have much of a desire to, regardless - not after earlier that morning, anyway.

Steel, uncaring that Hamorette was not up for a conversation, remarked airily, speaking loud so that she could hear him, "You know, princess...your brave little heroes _may _have stood a chance against me, under different circumstances. Unfortunately, this game has played out perfectly in my favor."

Hamorette continued to stare hard at his cloaked back, jade eyes pained, mouth clamped shut. Nikolai glanced at her worriedly from the corner of his eye, but remained silent and jittery.

Steel went on, after a deep, yet dry chortle, "But I know Dreamland's policies better than any ham, and I know they won't attack me until tonight...not until they have a proper _plan _in place, anyway..." His nose wrinkled in disdain, but he recovered, keeping his tone chillingly casual, "No, tonight will be their time of attack. Perhaps right after the sunset, or when the _moon _is high in the sky..."

Hamorette listened in confusion, not sure of what Steel was getting at.

Steel's malicious smirk deepened as he spoke his next words.

"You see, princess...they stand absolutely no chance. You're hope is in vain. It doesn't matter what time tonight they attack me. All that matters is they are attacking me _tonight_."

At first, Hamorette did not detect the hint. But after a minute of nothing but the pattering rain and swirling thoughts filling her head, Hamorette managed to put all the pieces together.

"No..." She croaked hoarsely, the grim horror dawning on her grime-smudged face as her eyes widened with the terrible realization. "No...no, it can't _be_...not tonight..."

"Oh, it _is_, Princess!" Steel laughed, eyes gleeful, though he still refused to look at her. "And I'm willing to bet that you precious knights and brave heroes are too caught up in the mayhem to take any notice of the date! Tonight, when they try and take my power from me..." He clenched his fist out in front of him, the scepter in his other paw glowing menacingly scarlet, while Hamorette gaped in horror from her confinement.

"...they will meet their nightmare face to _face_!"

* * *

"You should have her back by a decent hour, Sprint!" Screech advised his best friend with a somewhat-condescending glare in the direction of the other knight, who was standing too close too his little sister for him to relax, though Siren didn't seem to mind.

Sprint rolled his eyes, but grinned. "I got it, Screech. I know you'll cut my tail off if I don't."

"And if this café you're going to has hazelnuts, make sure she doesn't eat any. She's allergic; puffs up like a furry balloon if she even _licks _one." Panda warned with narrowed eyes, waggling one finger at the tall, suave Sprint, who did not appear intimidated by the smaller ham.

"I'm standing right _here_, guys..." Siren grumbled, looking embarrassed and angry.

After much discussion (which included a lot of yelling on Siren's part, and laughter from Sprint) her two 'brothers' had decided to relent somewhat, and allow her to go out on the town with the Dark Lander, though it was against their better judgement. Between keeping her away from Sprint or having her mad at them for an eternity, they had decided that they could accept one very minor loss, but they didn't like it very much regardless. After all, how much could happen on one little outing? And if anything did, Screech and Panda were prepared to kill/maim Sprint accordingly, should he put one toe out of line.

Also, Screech and Panda had only permitted Siren to go on one condition: they, as her 'guardians' were allowed to make the rules that Sprint would have to follow. This mortified Siren, but she knew better than to put up a fight, and merely stood grumbling while Screech and Panda gave Sprint the ground rules, sounding like two incredibly strict school teachers.

The two overprotective brother-figures didn't seem to hear her. "And she doesn't like mimes, so steer clear of the downtown art district," Screech added. "There's some creepy clowns out there too, best to just stay away."

"Oh, and stay out of back alleys...you never know what could be lurking!"

"If it starts to thunderstorm, make sure you seek shelter _straight _away! Siren could get struck by lightning. If she does I will put dents in your armor, Sprint! I _know _you hate dents."

"And don't go anywhere too crowded! I don't want Siren getting trampled on!"

That was the final straw for the Guardian host. "_Enough_!" Siren exploded furiously, taking both Screech and Panda, as well as her date, totally aback. Azure eyes aflame, Siren pointed her paw menacingly at her real brother and her figurative brother and told them in a low, threatening voice, "I can take care of myself, for goodness sake! Stop acting like two fussy nannies, you _morons_! You are embarrassing me!"

Sprint had to avert his gaze to keep from laughing. Screech regained his composure and, after clearing his throat, said, "We're just concerned for your well-being, Siren." Panda nodded in agreement, glaring at Sprint, who had become very interested in the structure of the wooden doors that led to the streets of Dreamland.

"You could be less annoying about it!" She snapped, eyes narrowed, fuming. Then, she grabbed a silently chuckling Sprint by the arm and dragged him out the door and off toward the bustling streets, grumbling, face a bright ruby color, "Come on, Sprint..."

"Stick to the sidewalks! A flower cart could come flying out of nowhere!" Screech hollered after them.

"Keep away from strangers!" Panda followed.

"Will do!" Sprint, who had not taken their threats very seriously, waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder. Siren merely gave a loud, aggravated groan which her two brother figures decided to ignore.

"And Sprint, so help me, if you _dare _hurt my little sister I'll tear you limb from limb when you get back!" Screech, with a final bout of protectiveness, bellowed after the disappearing pair as they began to merge with the crowd, his voice piercing and remarkably threatening.

"Ditto!" Panda yelled in agreement.

Once they had lost sight of the pair, Panda and Screech exchanged a look and a deep sigh, plopping down on the damp staircase of the castle, since the rain had become nothing more than a slight drizzle now. Nodding his head toward the direction Siren and Sprint had taken, Panda asked his partner-in-crime, "You think it was a wise idea, letting them go? We could try following them...without the plants, this time..." He chuckled a little, recalling that morning, though his face was serious.

Screech thought about it, but shook his head. "Nah. We don't need Siren getting mad at us again. I mean, I knew she could be loud, but....woah. My ears are still ringing!" He winced.

Panda sighed. "I guess you're right. I'm just worried. Something about Sprint has been bothering me since we met him. I mean...he seems to be a nice ham and everything, and he must be, to be a Dreamland knight, but I can't help but feel like he's hiding something. Something...I don't know....important, I guess. You know him, Screech. Anything we should be worried about?"

Screech's eyes began to cloud over with thought. "Important?" He tilted his head to the side, scanning his brain for anything he knew about his best hammo that could fall under that category. He knew _everything _about Sprint, more or less...his past, his personality, and his likes and dislikes, his family. Everything.

After a moment of thought, Screech shrugged. "I got nothing." He replied.

Panda frowned, staring out at the bustling streets with hooded eyes. "And he looks kind of familiar too. I mean, I don't think I've met him personally before, but...there's just something about him."

Screech shrugged again, propping his chin up with his paws."Can't imagine why."

"So, we just going to wait here for them to get back?"

"Of course. Because if Siren comes back in tears, we can kill Sprint and not stain anything in the castle with his blood."

"...Good point!"

* * *

Sprint was nervous. Actually, that was an understatement. His shoulders were tense, his face was torn between a look of nonchalance and a look of pure terror, and his crimson eyes were worried and wider than usual. His heart felt like it was going to pound right out of his chest, while his brain felt as if it had overheated. How was he going to tell her this terrible truth about himself?

Somehow, '_Oh yeah, my bro tried to kill you - well, technically he _did _kill you, but you were resurrected, so it's all good!_' didn't sound quite right.

Siren didn't have to be bright to notice that something was amiss.

Sprint's nerves were affecting her as well, and, as they came upon a beautiful marble fountain with a carving of ham-angels singing at the center, Siren veered off of their course toward a bench, grabbing Sprint's paw and tugging him along with her. Though surprised, the Dark Lander did not resist, and allowed himself to be pulled by the hamgirl. "What's up?" He asked, hating how his voice sounded more like a squeak than anything.

"Okay, Sprint..." Siren took a deep breath, sitting down on the bench and motioning for him to do the same. He did so, grimacing - for he had a feeling he knew what was coming next. Sure enough, Siren asked, "Why are you acting so...weird?"

Sprint, inwardly mollified, tried to laugh it off, but it came out so still Siren's suspicions were only heightened. Weakly, Sprint averted his gaze to stare at the beautiful fountain and murmured,

"Weird _how_?"

Siren sighed. "Sprint..." She said softly, placing a warm paw on his shoulder, making him tense even further. "Why don't you tell me whatever it is you have to tell me? I'm worried you're not going to make it through lunch without fainting..." She joked lightly, trying to lift his mood even a little, but it was in vain.

Sprint realized instantly that the time had come, and there was no more avoidance. He gathered all of his courage, and forced himself to face Siren, and concerned crimson met equally-concerned azure. Fear seized his heart, but he knew that there was no turning back now - because he respected Siren, and she had to know the truth if their friendship was going to progress as far as he thought it could. This confession would decide whether their forged connection would survive, or be completely severed by the cruel, cold reality of his secret. Screech had accepted him for it, as had Hamorette. But Siren...

"Whatever it is..." Her quiet voice prompted, as all the other passerby and scenery began to melt away, leaving just the pair of them, the bench, and the gurgling fountain. "You can tell me."

He _knew _he could tell her. The question was, could _she _accept it?

It was time. "I'm a Dark Lander, Siren..." He said softly, feeling his stress lighten, only to be replaced with more worry and fear.

Siren looked briefly confused. "I know that, Sprint. And I don't mind," She added, for emphasis.

"No..." Sprint shook his head, unable to look her in the eyes any longer as he stared at the blue cobblestone path at his feet. "No, that's not all, Siren. I'm a true blood Dark Lander. I have...I'm _related _to other Dark Landers."

Siren was still utterly lost. "I....know?" She said.

In that moment, Sprint was _not _glad that density seemed to run in Screech and Siren's family. Her non-comprehension was not making this easier.

"I have a brother, Siren."

He felt the truth converging on his vocal cords, and nearly choking him with it's severity. A small voice in the back of his head told him to turn back while there was still hope, but his heart told him, in a much louder, more assured voice, that this revelation was the right path, no matter how much pain it caused.

Siren frowned, still not sure what Sprint was getting at. "Did you want to introduce me to him?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in a quizzical manner. If that was all, then why was he so worked up? Siren was almost always up for meeting new hams.

Sprint smiled ruefully. Irony was not on his side. "I can't introduce you, Siren." He said, head drooping slightly, as if weighted down with his words.

Siren abruptly felt a chill slither up her spine. Fear and dread coming into her voice, she asked, staring hard at his saddened, pained expression, "...Why not?"

"I can't introduce you..." Sprint swallowed hard, back rigid and eyes completely downcast. "Because you've...already met."

For a moment, Siren was utterly confused. She mouthed the words back to herself, and only then did they make any sense to her, though, as a suffocating wave of incredulity passed over her, she did not believe it, despite the absence of any other possibilities. There was simply no way...absolutely no _way _that he was saying what she thought he was saying. He, a chivalrous knight, related to..._no_.

No.

Sprint sensed her reaction was not one that he had hoped for, but was too afraid to look for confirmation. And then, like tearing a band-aid from a sensitive wound, it all came out in a rush of truth and potential heartbreak.

"Spyke, your old enemy, is my older brother, Siren."

Siren's expression swiftly changed to one of shock as his words fell on her stunned ears. Denial wasn't an option anymore, now that he had voiced it aloud himself. The truth had materialized, and Siren felt a mass of jumbled emotions awaken in her thundering heart, creating a mish-mash of absolute chaos. Her enemy...the one who had 'killed her' and tried to kill her friends....was the _brother _of the knight she had thought she could be close to.

_No._

"Siren..." Sprint, voice broken, looked up at her at long last, too scared by her silence. Immediately, he wished he hadn't - her face was absolutely horrified, and reflected in her hazy azure eyes was a look of such pain and confusion that all other words he might have said died instantly on his tongue. She was staring at him completely horror-struck, looking like his secret had given her a totally new perspective of him - one more like his brother, rather than the knight she had been getting to know. Now, it was as if he were someham else, in her eyes.

Everything both had hoped for crashed down instantly, into a jumbled heap of despair. All, now, was lost between them.

Siren did the only thing she could think of. She ran. Sprint, startled, hopped to his feet and started to run after her, calling, "Siren!" but he halted after a few steps, realizing that it was futile. She didn't even give him a backwards glance.

As he watched her go, his vision blurred, and he was surprised that as he blinked, a few tears fluttered to the ground. Sprint hadn't cried since he was a young ham, as he had trained himself to not succumb to potentially weakening emotions. But, as he recalled what had just happened between he and Siren, he couldn't help relenting.

As he stood there, utterly alone, he realized that maybe he had been right all along - smoochie was for fools. But if that were true, he would be the biggest fool of all.

Trying to maintain composure, Sprint began a lonely jog back to the castle.

Siren came barreling toward Dreamland Castle with no intentions of slowing down. Screech and Panda, who had been chatting idly to pass the time, saw her coming, but were too stunned to see her back so fast that when she rocketed by them, they didn't have a chance to say a single word to her, as they were much to flabbergasted to articulate anything meaningful. Screech did manage to yell out, "Siren! Wha - ?" but she disappeared into the castle without a second glance, paying him no heed.

Panda and Screech exchanged a wide-eyed look. What could have possibly gone wrong in less than ten minutes of an outing with Sprint? Instantly, their surprise turned to anger, and they began to look around for Sprint, ready to rip him in half if he didn't have a really good explanation for why Siren had come running back to the castle so suddenly.

Sprint's face, however, once he appeared on the steps of Dreamland Castle, changed their minds about maiming him. Neither had seen such a downtrodden ham in their lives, and all they could do was watch as he walked listlessly by them, expression hollow, disappearing into the castle with hunched shoulders and misery practically radiating off of him, presumably headed toward his room. He didn't even look at them.

Panda looked at Screech. Screech looked at Panda. There was a long pause.

"I'll take Sprint..." Screech volunteered with a paw raised.

"And I'll go see if I can find Siren," Panda nodded.

And, with that, the duo trooped inside in pursuit of Sprint and Siren, hoping they could get to the bottom of whatever it was that had happened between the once-promising twosome.

* * *

**CFB**: Well, there you have it!

**Next time:** Screech and Panda try and talk to Sprint and Siren, Hamtaro stumbles across an intriguing poem, the planning is completed, and Hamorette tries to talk sense into Nikolai. Plus, the raid on Hamaustere...._begins_! It's the forces of good and evil, who will emerge victorious? And what plans does Steel have in store...?

(1) I used to fight with my friend all the time in Geometry class freshman year about shapes, and we'd yell back and forth stuff like, "You're a hexagon!" or "You're a dodecagon!" and we eventually decided that we were both octagons, to be fair. Yeah...oh, and I was having an emo day earlier this year and the same guy cheered me up by saying, "Allison, you are not one-sided...you have eight sides, like an octagon!" And it cheered me right up! So, that's where that came from. It's dumb, I know...

Red and review! I start work on Monday (and get out of school this Friday) so time is now a luxury. (Eight hour shifts....blahhhh...11-8:30? What the crap is that all about, huh?!) I can't say when the next update will be, because I don't know, but I'll be writing a lot on my days off! Reviews may motivate me, you never know...


	15. Fickle Winds

**CFB:** Here's the next chapter! Hope it's up to par! You are all about to find out why I'm a terrible poet, by the way...it's bad.

I only need 50,000 words....to eclipse _200,000_. I'm so excited! Can we do it? ~_dramatic music_~ My hand hurts when I type because I accidentally grabbed the hair straightener while it was on 200 degrees. There may be typos...I apologize!

This chapter is dedicated to the song **Rain** by Angela Aki, which I don't own, and I put on repeat while I wrote and this chapter wouldn't be finished otherwise. As well as everyone who reads/supports this fic, because you are all amazing.

**This time**: Screech and Panda try to figure out what went wrong with Sprint and Siren! Can Siren be redeemed? Hamtaro stumbles across an interesting poem, Hamorette has some questions for Nikolai, and the planning session for the attack on Steel comes to a close, setting the stage for an epic battle! The ham-hams head to Hamaustere! And Laura's story comes to a _near_-close. (She won't appear for a few chapters after this, to wrap everything up...)

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Hamtaro. Own OC's and original concepts. That all.

* * *

**Chapter 13**: _Fickle Winds_

Screech managed to find Sprint in the latter's room, sitting out on his balcony as it began to drizzle again, the grey skies reflecting Sprint's dampened mood. The dejected Knight didn't even seem to notice (or care) that he was getting wet - he kept his mournful red eyes on the weeping sky, and his shoulders and ears completely limp, as if all of his energy had been drained from his body. Screech stepped carefully out on the balcony after him, unsure of how to approach his friend.

The blue-eyed knight had been prepared to give his hamigo a tongue-lashing for hurting Siren, when he really hadn't wanted the two of them to go out together in the first place, but, once seeing that Sprint appeared equally as hurt by whatever had happened, he decided against it. Instead, he sat down next to the depressed ham and cleared his throat, thinking of what he could say. Obviously, whatever had gone down between Sprint and Siren was severe, if Sprint seemed this utterly downcast over it. Worried friend had taken over overprotective brother, for the time being.

Screech decided that there was no beating around the bush.

"Sprint....what happened?"

Sprint was motionless at first, just staring at the sky with a melancholy, downward curl of his mouth, crimson eyes devoid of emotion. And then, he muttered the reply, "....I told her."

Screech tilted his head to the side, slightly confused. "Heke?" He asked, placing a comforting paw on his hamigo's shoulder, as if trying to be of some consolation. "Told her what?"

Sprint sighed deeply, as the memories of only ten minutes before replayed through his head like a painful recording. Screech was somewhat alarmed by Sprint's dark mood. What could Sprint possibly have told Siren to cause such a drastic rift between them? The answer still eluded him...but Sprint filled him in, voice shaky with remorse,

"I...told her that Spyke is my brother."

Sprint lowered his head to stare listlessly at the damp cement at his feet. Screech's mouth fell open, the news falling on his ears like an electric shock as a wave of cold realization washed over him. Instantly, he felt like a total idiot for not being able to figure it out sooner - the answer was more or less obvious! However, despite anger at himself for being so dense, his heart filled to the brim with sympathy for his wounded friend, who looked like he had seen a promising new world vanquished.

Screech didn't need to say anything. He just sat beside his friend, trying to comfort him without the use of words, as they sat together in the misty rain, two heartbroken knights against a dull, iron grey background.

* * *

"Siren...come on! Let me in!"

Panda had chased after Siren, only to find himself breathless and weary, staring at the locked door of the hamgirl's room, which had slammed shut only seconds before he had reached it, Siren disappearing inside. He had pounded repeatedly on the door with his fist, but had received no reply, a sure sign that his surrogate sister was ignoring him.

Frustrated, Panda beat his fist against the door again. Siren's reaction to whatever had happened between her and Sprint was alarming, for he had never seen her so upset before, save for the incident at Hamwall. However, before he made it a point to throttle Sprint for hurting a ham he cared very much for, he wanted to get an answer from a seemingly distraught Siren; what had caused all of this to happen?

"Siren! Please...I just want to know what's wrong! Screech and I are really worried about you!"

With each passing second, 'worried' was becoming an understatement.

After a moment that felt like forever, Siren's muffled reply filtered through the closed door, and even though her voice was less-clear because of the door separating them, Panda could tell that she was crying and she was likely hugging her pillow for comfort.

"I...I don't want to talk about it!"

Panda breathed deeply. Softening his tone, so to both comfort her and coax her to come to the door, he leaned closer to the door and said, just loud enough for her to hear, "Siren...how can I help you if I don't know what's wrong? Please come to the door, Siren...I just want to talk to you."

There was a long minute of silence, before he could feel the faint patter of footsteps behind the door, and he felt a small burst of triumph when the door creaked open slowly. However, the feeling of victory faded abruptly into concern when he saw Siren, her eyes red from tears and her expression one of pure sorrow, heartbroken and crestfallen, all at the same time. He opened his mouth to speak, but she answered the question on his tongue before he could find the words.

"Sprint's brother...is Spyke."

Panda's eyes widened in shock, and all of his previous suspicions about the knight came flooding back, all of his questions now answered - now, Panda knew what made Sprint seem so familiar to him. Saying the words seemed to make Siren's heart fall even harder, and she threw herself at Panda, and he gently hugged the tearful little ham in a brotherly embrace. Her tears stained the fur of his neck, but he cared little. Now, all of the puzzle pieces were found, but the puzzle itself had been scattered and the pieces, perhaps irretrievably scattered, never to be united again.

* * *

After about a half-hour, Screech and Panda regrouped down in the entranceway, and, upon discovering that they had twin looks of concern crossed with sadness on their faces, they realized that each now knew what had happened between Sprint and Siren, and neither of them seemed pleased by it. Now, their attempts at keeping the pair apart seemed far-away and futile, for fate and Sprint's revealed past had interfered with the pair instead.

Screech looked at Panda. Panda looked at Sprint. Neither of them smiled. Eventually, Screech let out a dry, mirthless chuckle and said, voice sounding hollow though he tried to sound at least a bit cheerful,

"Well....Sprint and Siren are apart, just like we wanted...right?"

Panda offered a small, empty chortle, but neither of them felt quite the same about the situation any longer. After seeing a downhearted Sprint and an anguished Siren, both completely torn up about what had happened, they couldn't help but feel inwardly tormented and sorrowful as well, their prior enthusiasm about keeping the pair separated now forgotten.

It was what they had wanted. But neither of them felt exactly happy about it, now that their mistaken dream had come true, and what should have felt like an accomplishment felt painfully empty instead.

* * *

"Wow, this apple biscuit is delicious! _Krmp-krmp_...perfect fuel for an epic battle!"

Hamtaro, trying to stay in high spirits, chomped eagerly into the delectable treat he had acquired from the chef down in the kitchens as he walked leisurely back toward his room, hopping up the stairs with an added sprint in his step. All of his wallowing in depression and soul-searching had made his stomach rumble, so he had gone out in search of food, and had even brought a couple of treats in a little paper bag for a snoring Snoozer as well.

Smiling brightly in contrast to the glowering storm clouds outside, Hamtaro remarked in a chipper tone, "Nothing like a delicious treat to take your mind of things!"

He began to hum a merry little tune, so distracted that he didn't notice his mistake - instead of stopping at the second floor, where his room was located, he continued up another flight, so his journey ended on the third floor instead. The hallways all resembled each other, appearing almost totally identical in decor and color, so he was still oblivious as he headed for the fifth door, thinking that he would be entering his room. With a cheerful flourish, the orange-furred ham threw the door open and proclaimed, brown eyes shining,

"I'm back, Snoozer! And I brought you some celery....." He looked around, not recognizing the room, face instantly clouding over with confusion. "....cakes. _Heke_?"

With hazy brown orbs, Hamtaro examined his new surroundings. He was in what appeared to be a bedroom, colored in various shades of dark red and grey. A few flowers, some of them lunar roses, peeked in at him from the balcony outside a set of double doors, and, although the color scheme gave little away about whatever ham lived inside, Hamtaro could tell that the room belonged to a hamgirl - the stuffed wolf, bear, and bird dolls on the bed was the giveaway for that one. On the walls were several pictures, hung in intricately carved frames, and, compelled, Hamtaro ventured forward to peer at them. There was one of Hamorette, one of Joy, one of Sprint, and a couple of Screech, smiling brilliantly. Another one, smaller than the others, and partly hidden by a shadow, showed two middle-aged hamsters, one male, with grey eyes and sleek russet fur, the other white with russet ears, female, and with dark brown eyes.

"Hm..." Hamtaro's brow furrowed in thought, as he tapped a paw to his chin. "I wonder whose room _this _is?"

Hamtaro's alert eyes noticed that one frame, propped up on a mahogany bureau, didn't hold a picture - instead, there was a piece of parchment paper inside, with a few lines of writing on it. Intrigued, Hamtaro stepped forward and leaned closer, ears twitching as he peered at the words, reading them aloud as they passed through his mind,

_Since the day that we first met,_

_When I ran into you,_

_I knew that you were special, _

_And I hoped you thought I was too,_

_I am kind of dumb,_

_And you're pretty smart,_

_But I know that you + me,_

_Equals what is in my heart._

_Until the end of time,_

_Or whenever our time ends,_

_Our bond will never falter,_

_And it will never bend._

When he was finished reading, Hamtaro stepped back and smiled. "Wow!" He commented, obviously not aware of the mediocrity of the poem. "Whoever wrote this must be a master ham-ham poet!"

"Well....thank-Q, I guess."

Surprised by the voice that appeared out of nowhere behind him, Hamtaro jumped, and whirled around with wide brown eyes to see a faintly-smiling Screech standing there, a mildly interested expression on his face. Coming into the room, the knight remarked, answering Hamtaro's quizzical gaze, "I wrote that several months ago, actually. It took me four hours, and that's _with _a rhyme dictionary!"

"Screech!" Hamtaro recovered from his initial surprise with a smile of his own. Realizing that he had essentially been caught trespassing, Hamtaro sheepishly scratched the back of his head and muttered with a tint of shame, "Oopsie...I guess I wound up on the wrong floor when I was trying to go back to my room, and I wound up in here!"

Screech waved a dismissive paw. "Don't worry about it..." He looked around with nostalgia reflected in his icy blue eyes, and he let out a soft sigh. "I haven't been here in a while, so I'm kind of glad you found it. Though it does bring back some memories..." He trailed off, still peering about the room, a look of some undecipherable emotion in his eyes.

Hamtaro tilted his head to the side. "What room is this, Screech?"

Screech snapped back to reality, looking at Hamtaro as if seeing him there for the first time. "Heke? Oh, right...this is Fury's room. No one's been in here since..."

He didn't need to finish. Hamtaro understood what he was going to say.

Screech, in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, chuckled and picked up the framed poem from the wooden dresser. Eyes dancing with the memory in his head, he explained to an amused Hamtaro, "I wrote this for Fury a few weeks after we met, when I started to fall in _smoochie _with her. I'm no poet, by any means, but I guess this poem was where our relationship as boyham and girlham really started. Sprint told me not to read it to her, because he thought she'd laugh in my face, but she loved it anyway, and we've been together ever since."

Hamtaro absorbed that slowly, with alert ears and an intently listening heart. Instantly, he was reminded of his encounter with the Chamber of Peaceful Rest, when he had imagined the ham-hams in trouble, and one, clear voice had cried out above all of the others, pleading for him to save her from Steel's horrible clutches. And he recalled the emotions that had raced through his heart when he had heard that single voice in his mind; emotions that were new, and heartwarming, but petrifying all at the same time, and he had a faint inkling of what they were, but was afraid to fully realize them. However, despite his fear, he knew that they would eventually take over his heart completely, until he was no longer able to keep them inside, and he wasn't sure how he would one day express those overwhelming feelings...

But maybe...Screech would be able to help him out with that, having gone through something very similar. And the only way to find out was to ask.

"Hey....Screech?" Hamtaro asked, his voice small and eyes distant.

Bemused by Hamtaro's shift in mood from cheerful to brooding, Screech tilted his head questioningly to the side. "Yeah?" He asked the other hamster, wondering what had changed his spirits.

"Can you....can you help _me _write a poem?"

Hamtaro's question caught Screech off guard, and he even took a step back. However, as Hamtaro looked at the knight, Screech could tell that his orange-furred hammo was completely sincere about the question, and, from the genuine look of worry mixed with determination in Hamtaro's eyes, Screech could also tell that this was extremely important to the hero. He couldn't imagine why Hamtaro would want his help, when he had the poetic skills of a leaf, but he figured he could lend a paw for a couple of hours, before they had to go and fight Steel. Screech offered his conflicted hammo an encouraging grin.

"I suppose so. Like you said, a hammo in need is a hammo indeed! Just let me grab my rhyming dictionary, and we'll be all set to go!"

* * *

Hamorette's despair, as time passed, only seemed to increase, and her hopes seemed only to plummet. Steel had, once again, left her under Nikolai's watch while he went off to find and tend to a pale, sick-looking Fury, and while the shaggy little ham had given her water and a couple of stale sunflower seeds to keep her from starving, she was still utterly miserable in her too-small cage, and how she wished for a nice hot rose-water bath and a fresh dress to change into! This hellish predicament she had found herself in seemed to only grow worse and worse with each minute...

As she leaned, exhausted, on the grimy bars of her cell Hamorette examined the little ham guarding her. She had never met Nikolai until he had hamnapped her, but knew much about him from what Skyla and Uncle C had told her months ago, when he had vanished to become Steel's hench-ham and they had asked her, in desperation, to organize a search party for him. It had turned out fruitless of course - Steel had been in hiding at the time, and Nikolai had joined him - so Hamorette was at last meeting the little ham face-to-face...though he currently had his back to her, as if he was afraid to look at her.

The water he had brought her earlier had quenched her thirst and healed her parched throat, so she found enough courage to speak up to the flinchy little ham.

"...Nikolai?"

As expected, little Nikolai jumped clean off his feet, surprised. He landed on his rear with a thunk, a startled, "oomph!" passing through his lips, and Hamorette's eyes widened, as she hadn't been expecting a reaction like that from him. He really was a jumpy little ham, as Uncle C had described to her!

Shoulders trembling, Nikolai got shakily to his feet and slowly turned his head to face Hamorette. His face was troubled with indecision, as if he knew he shouldn't be speaking to her, as Steel had commanded him, but didn't want to disrespect her either. The conflicted look on his face made something in Hamorette's mind click....if Nikolai was still unsure of whether or not joining Steel was a good idea, she might be able to convince him that it wasn't, and he could help her escape with the Stone of Slumber!

"Nikolai..." She prompted again, trying to make her voice sound sweet, but imploring.

Nikolai, once he had turned around fully to face her and glanced with darting eyes toward the door, as if fearful of Steel showing up, swallowed his fear and asked, voice nothing more than a wheezy squeak, "Y-yes, p-princess?" The moment the words left his mouth, he squeezed his eyes shut, as if he had made a mistake.

Hamorette, choosing her words carefully, so not to frighten the flinching ham further, asked softly, jade eyes quizzical, "Why..._why _did you join Steel in the first place? He is positively awful to you, and he's doing such dreadful things! He's causing the hamster world pain and strife...how can you help him?"

Nikolai gulped. He hadn't been expecting to have an actual conversation with Hamorette, much less one of this nature, while he was forced to guard her. He found it remarkably difficult to look her in the eye, especially after the stories that Steel had told him of her treachery, for she looked nothing like a heartless, careless ham that Steel had so described, and he feared that looking at her would make his already torn heart even more unsure, and he didn't want that when he had already come so far as Steel's right-paw ham. But maybe...maybe Hamorette deserved to know why he had betrayed Dreamland to join Steel. She wasn't going to have power over Dreamland much longer, the way Steel was headed, so maybe he could give her his explanation...besides, her jade eyes were so innocent-looking...

"I....I...I couldn't stand being at home anymore," Nikolai answered, trying to keep it simple, keeping his gaze on the cold stone floor, though he hated how fast his heart beat as he spoke and how his eyes grew hot with pending tears he managed to fend off. "My...my brothers were all so successful as Watchers. They were big and strong, and my parents were too. And I'm so puny....all I'm good at is stealing and rolling around! My dad never...none of them ever..."

His eyes grew misty with memories, and he seemed to lose himself in his words, Hamorette equally as captivated, "My dad never...he was _never _proud of me. All he talked about was my brothers, and all _they _did was tease me! I was even too small to make hats! Sometimes...it was as though everyone forgot about me completely. There was...there was no place for me back in Dreamland! I didn't even fit in with my own family!" Even little Nikolai was surprised by how vehement his voice had become, as Hamorette listened with attentive eyes and intently round eyes. It was the first time he had told a soul about this.

There was a moment's pause. Hamorette was too stunned to say anything, but Nikolai went on, voice soft and low as his hazel eyes filled with tears, "I....I tried to prove myself so many times....but it was never good enough. No one ever noticed me. But Master Steel...."

As he trailed away again, looking into the past, Nikolai remembered Steel's first words to him, when the older, iron-furred ham had caught Nikolai stealing something from a Dreamland shop, red-pawed, while the latter had been to Dreamland in disguise to scope out the Chamber of Peaceful Rest.

"_Hm. You look as if you could be of use to me, little ham_. _Come with me, and you'll have all the power you've ever desired_."

As his emotions came crashing in around his heart, Nikolai fairly exploded with the motives he had never explained to anyone, voice profound, heartbreaking, and such a wild mix of emotions it was impossible to decipher all of them,

"All I wanted...my whole life....was to be needed. My family didn't need me. Master Steel said he could use me, and I've...I've actually been able to _help _him! And I know he doesn't give two seeds about me, but by doing his bidding I actually have a purpose! His deeds my be evil...but I can look at all the horrible things he's done...and I know that he wouldn't be able to accomplish his goals without me! I'm the one who stole the Stone of Slumber! I'm the one who ham-napped you! And I'm the one who gets Master Steel food! He treats me like the dirt beneath his paws...but...when all is said and done..."

Nikolai finally turned away, having to shield his face so Hamorette wouldn't see the tears that streamed down through his thick tan fur,

"...hamsters are going to remember me. It may not be for anything good, but I'll finally have done something to make ham-hams see me, and _notice _me! I won't just be puny, shy, pitiful, scaredy-ham Nikolai anymore!"

The room rang with Nikolai's angry words, and Hamorette sat frozen in her cell, utterly shocked by the little ham's confession. Nikolai, letting out a panting wheeze, was instantly reminded of another thing Steel had said to him, which had only made Nikolai dedicate himself to Steel's evil cause even more,

"_When my dreams are realized, Nikolai, every ham who ever looked down on you will regret the very moment they doubted you. Your destiny is to be strong, and I can make you stronger than you've ever imagined!_"

"Master Steel promised me that he would make me just as strong as I've always wanted to be! And if I help him do these things, even if they're horrible, he'll fulfill that promise! And that's..." Nikolai squeezed his eyes shut, in a vain attempt to keep his tears from flowing. "...that's why I follow Master Steel. Because by following him, I'm going to become the hamster I've always wanted to be."

His words rang with finality, as if, then and there, he had made up his mind, though his hazel eyes, glossy with tears, remained undecided and glued to the now damp floor. The burden had at last been released from his heavy heart, but his struggling soul felt no reprieve.

Hamorette was in shock, and had no idea what she could say to that. She hadn't had a clue that the little ham's turmoil had such deep, emotional roots. No wonder he had tucked his reasons away inside...a burden like that wasn't one you could carry freely, out in the open. And, as his words resonated in her heart, Hamorette couldn't help but feel extremely sympathetic for the tan-furred hamster, as he fought to clear his bitter tears. Such a small ham, with such big dreams...it was easy to see how Steel had gotten in his head, and tricked him into believing he could grant Nikolai's wishes for strength and remembrance. He had corrupted poor, little Nikolai...

"Nikolai...regardless of what Steel has promised you, acquiring strength through evil deeds is not honorable."

Nikolai sniffed, but said nothing, keeping his back firmly on her.

Hamorette sighed, but wracked her brain and spoke again. "Nikolai...Steel is merely deceiving you. He is a selfish ham and he operates solely for himself. Trust me, Nikolai...Steel is just using you, and he will no sooner grant you strength than kick you out of his domain once he's garnered enough power!"

As her desperate words reached his ears, Nikolai pulled his hat down lower over them, as if to block her pleas. He didn't want to hear what she had to say...because he didn't want to have any more doubts about what he had resolved to do. He wanted to know that he had made the right decision by siding with Steel, and if he allowed himself to listen to a counter-argument, then he couldn't be truly dedicated to the cause he had joined to achieve his dreams...he didn't want to be torn, anymore.

But Hamorette's last words, soft and sincere, somehow managed to slip past the barricade of his hat and reach his unwilling ears, even as he shook his head to try and rid himself of the conflicted feelings they brought.

"...Your family is worried for you, Nikolai...They really - "

That was all the little tan furball could take, and exactly what he didn't want to hear. Not caring about the punishment he would receive for leaving Hamorette unguarded, Nikolai, letting out a strangled cry of anguish, fled from the room as fast as his tiny paws could carry him. Hamorette, stopping mid-sentence, watched him go with bewildered jade eyes, her hopes of converting him back onto the good side dashed. She felt a pang of both pain and sympathy for him as she heard his pattering footsteps growing fainter and fainter, but her stomach also plummeted as she realized she was running out of time and options.

She knew her most loyal knights and the brave heroes would come for her. And they would come tonight.

But, despite that inevitability, she desperately hoped that they would stay away, or realize what night it was, and realize that invading Steel's domain tonight would be a mistake. And not just any mistake; a potentially deadly one for all involved.

"_You see, princess...they stand absolutely no chance. You're hope is in vain. It doesn't matter what time tonight they attack me. All that matters is they are attacking me _tonight_._"

Hamorette, closing her eyes wearily and slumping back against her prison, knew that Steel's words were not mere speculation. They were truth. An attack tonight by her final hope would be nothing more than suicide.

"_Please, my knights, brave heroes...do not come tonight_!" She thought desperately, directing her thoughts to the sky she knew hovered valiantly overhead, even if she knew all of her wishing would be in vain. "_Whatever you do, do not attack _tonight_!_"

* * *

"Well, I think that went rather well, don't you?"

"You bet, Maxy! Why, we'll be kicking some Steel tail in no time!"

"I certainly hope so, Boss...I like the plan we managed to make, but there is always room for error, we can't get too overconfident!"

"Relax, Dex! We've got everything under control now!"

After five hours of debate, discussion, and the occasional throwing of food in Boss's case, the planning session for the attack against steel had drawn to a close. Gale had dismissed everyone late in the afternoon, once he was sure that each ham knew the plan well enough to relay it to the others. Boss, Dexter, and Maxwell were entrusted with telling Sprint, Screech, and the ham-hams all of the details. Boss was in boisterous, loud spirits as a result, though Maxwell and Dexter were a bit more subdued, as they recognized the possibility for mistakes, even if they had high hopes for their newly-formed strategy.

As the trio trekked back toward their rooms in search of their hammos, Maxwell, new book still tucked safely under his arm, remarked thoughtfully, "I _do_ like the idea of attacking with a smaller group. If it's just Sprint, Screech, and us ham-hams going to execute the plan, there's less of a chance he'll be able to knock us out in one blast, like he did to the knights last night."

"Plus, if we split up, we can attack him from two angles -maybe more!" Boss commented. That had been his idea and main contribution to the planning session - to break off into smaller squadrons, in case Steel _did _manage to put some of them to sleep.

"Alas, we can't forget about Fury!" Dexter warned, eyes severe. "She does all of Steel's bidding - and had those awful energy beams! We're not just taking on one ham, like we were with Spyke! We're taking on two incredibly powerful hamsters - three, if you include that little Nikolai fellow! He was capable of hamnapping the princess, after all!"

"Seriously, Dex!" Boss beamed, clapping the more uptight ham on the back and knocking his bowtie askew. "You need to relax a little. We already talked about all of this at the meeting! Everything is all taken care of - all we need to do is execute everything properly, and then Steel and his little flunkeys will be no more of a threat than Cappy is!"

Maxwell smiled, though his smile was a bit tighter, as if forced. "Like Dexter said, Boss, we can't get overconfident. We'll just have to go through the plan step by step, and hope for the best. All we can do is work together to do all that we're capable of..."

Boss scoffed, "You two worry too much! Just you wait - by midnight tonight, everything will be all sorted out, and sleep will be back to normal again!"

The other two hams smiled vaguely, but still couldn't get as excited as their older companion. They were both very analytical thinkers, and they always left room for error, even though they couldn't afford any in this situation. They were mere hours away from going through with their carefully constructed plan, and while Boss seemed to be walking on air, their feet felt heavy with dread, as their hour of reckoning and time to prove their worth came closer, and the possibility of failure loomed, despite the faith in their hearts.

"Just wait until the ham-hams hear the plan!" Boss crowed, pumping a fist in the air, as the trio rounded the corner that led to their dorm rooms. "It'll be sure to go off without a hitch, or my name isn't the _Boss-man_!"

* * *

After cramming during art class when she should have been drawing a bowl of oranges, Laura entered her math room once the final bell had rung for her re-quiz, leaving Kana to walk home without her and a chance to find Roberto before soccer practice ended futile. The teacher handed her the paper without a word, and, to Laura's relief, all of the 'x's' and 'y's' seemed to make sense, rather than just resembling alphabet soup. After twenty minutes, she handed the paper back to her teacher, who told her that she could wait outside while it was graded.

Laura found herself outside in the fresh air, the dark sky having left the horizon almost immediately after lunch. She found a bench at the bottom of some cement stairs, within view of her math room window, so her teacher could summon her when the grading was done, and sat down with a weary sigh, plopping her backpack on the grass beside her. As the sun caressed her face, she at last felt as if things were beginning to clear...Travis was going to talk to Mika, and a large part of the drama could be solved...

"Oh...hi, Laura."

Startled, the brunette's eyes snapped open and she peered about for the source of the voice. Reese stood there at the top of the stairs, as intimidating as Mount Everest and with eyes just as cold. His soccer gear was slung casually over his shoulder, and he was still wearing his practice clothes, smudged with several grass stains and smatterings of dirt. The cast on his nose was spotless, however, as if he had been cautious with it, though it did detract from the chill he normally emanated. He didn't look exactly pleased to see her, but he didn't look displeased either - which was pretty much all you could expect of him. Just his usual indifference, cool and composed.

"Reese!" She exclaimed, surprised to see him, of all people. "I wasn't expecting..." Her surprise faded to confusion. "...aren't you supposed to be at soccer practice? It's only four..."

It was like fate had thrown them together - to clear everything up.

He shrugged, bounding down the stairs faster than Laura could blink to stand beside the bench. "Coach's wife went into labor. He had to hightail it out of here fast, and my ride won't be here for another hour. I could walk, but it's a long way from here to my apartment...I figured I'd just wait it out."

To Laura's surprise, he sat down on the bench beside her with a content sigh, keeping a decent amount of distance between them. She immediately grew uneasy, just having him nearby, given the circumstances. She had always considered Reese a friend, though not a close one, but had never been alone with him like this before - already he had said more to her than he ever had before in one sitting. And now, in light of recent events, his presence made her even more nervous than usual - she had tied up the loose ends with Mika and Travis, so Reese was the last to come clean. A silence fell, making Laura feel awkward, though Reese just leaned back and stared up into the sky, unfazed.

Laura was struggling to find something casual for them to talk about, anything other than what he had done to Travis. Her opinion of Reese had been more like a roller coaster as of late, changing repeatedly, and now that he was here, with no one else around - especially no Mika and Travis - Laura's mind was blank; she didn't know what to think. Unfortunately, the situation with Travis and Mika was the only thing she could think of _to_ talk about - and she knew that she _wanted _to know his side, because it could potentially solve so much. Gina had said it would clear numerous things up. But, to her surprise and relief, he spoke first, and she was saved from bringing up the situation herself. With a dry chuckle, he smirked and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and bowing his head,

"I guess you hate me too, huh?"

Laura's eyes widened, surprised by the question. Reese took her silence as a 'yes,' and chuckled again, his smile growing oddly melancholy. He went on after a deep sigh, not even looking in her direction as he spoke, "It's alright. It's not like I don't understand _why_. It's for the same reason Lance and June hate me now, as well as half the soccer team. Not to mention Travis."

"But..." Laura stammered, trying to find the right words. "I _don't _hate you."

Reese glanced at her with his icy eyes, slightly intrigued. He arched one eyebrow. "You _do_ know what I _did_, don't you?" He asked warily.

"Yeah, I know about it..." Laura cast her brown eyes to the sidewalk under her feet, fiddling nervously with her thumbs. The last person she thought she'd wind up talking about this with was Reese himself, but, now that the situation had presented itself to her, she realized that he was the one person she could really get definitive answers from, as he had been the catalyst of the whole affair. She just hadn't thought she'd get an opportunity to ask him in the first place. She drew in a deep breath and continued, "But I...I don't think I can really pass judgement on you without hearing your side."

Reese was silent at this. The expression on his face didn't change as he leaned against the wooden back of the bench, but Laura could faintly sense that he was somewhat surprised by what she had said. After a moment, he said, "...You're the first person to say that to me."

"Well..." Laura absently kicked a rock by her left foot, sending it skittering away down the concrete path. "There are two sides to every story - though this one has many. I've heard Mika's side, and I've heard Travis's, and even Gina's and a bit of Roberto's. You _had _to have a reason to...do what you did..." And, as she spoke, she realized that she really wanted to hear the missing half to the story, from the person best suited to tell it. Even if it was bad, and only confirmed her worst suspicions about him, unless she heard, it would forever be unresolved.

"I did...have a reason, I mean..." Reese said. He seemed hesitant to go on. "It might just _make _you hate me if I tell you, though. And I think I'm hated enough already, to be honest..."

Laura shrugged. "We won't know _unless _you tell me."

Reese considered that, raising a hand to scratch behind his head as he stared with narrowed grey eyes at the clear blue sky above them. Laura bit her lip nervously, squirming a bit as she sat. She _did _want to know Reese's motives for turning into a relationship-destroyer, but there was no guarantee that knowing would make her feel any better about the situation, or that it wouldn't make her hate him. But she had to know...she had to clear some of the confusion. She couldn't go on hovering between the sides, and trying to salvage friendships with everyone involved, without knowing the whole truth.

"Alright then..." He conceded after a moment of thinking. "But, if you do decide to hate me once you know, I'll understand."

"I will try to keep an open mind," Laura promised, and his tensed shoulders relaxed slightly. Her heart began to beat more steadily, and with greater force, as she prepared to get some answers that would hopefully make her mind less muddled. Things really were unfolding rapidly - first with Mika and then with Travis, all of the answers were coming into the light...

He kept his grey gaze on the cold sidewalk under his cleats, relaxing against the bench as he tried to keep himself at ease. Apparently, he hadn't told what he was about to say to anyone else, as he appeared far more apprehensive now than she had ever seen him before, and that made Laura a bit anxious. Reese was normally very composed, unruffled in even the most tension-filled moments, but she could sense his nerves. She had a feeling that this conversation was about to plunge deeper than any conversation she had ever had with Reese, or anyone else, had ever gone.

"I met Mika the same day Travis did, when Gina brought her to our soccer practice," Reese began, a far-off looking coming into his eyes as he spoke as he recalled the memory. "And it was like lightning hit me. I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but like, half the girls in our grade apparently have crushes on me, and have since I moved here."

"_No_. Really?"

"I _know_. Took me by surprise too, when I heard. But I suppose the reason I never really noticed those girls, or cared, is because I...well, I didn't feel the same about any of them. No offense, Laura," He added quickly, sparing her a brief glance. "But people have never really interested me in general. I mean, I like all my friends and stuff, but I bore so easily I hardly ever have fun with anything or anyone. It's just how I was built...my dad's the same."

Laura realized with a start how little she knew about Reese - other than the fact that he was kind of like a robot, played soccer, and had moved from America, he was more or less an enigma. She immediately felt a pang of guilt. She had nearly been convinced of hating him earlier in the week, but now, he was opening up to her and she was learning the reason behind his indifference, seeing the boy behind the bored expression that so many people failed to see.

"But when I met Mika and shook her hand, I wasn't..._bored_, anymore!" Reese's voice was edged with amazement, as if the thought of it still surprised him. "I only talked to her for a little bit that day, and then again, longer, at Gina's party...but...she's the first girl I've ever really liked."

His face fell, and he suddenly went into a new story, which was, somehow, connected to the one he had been telling. "I live with my dad, you see. He's a really important businessman or something, which was why we had to move here - he actually works in Tokyo, but didn't want me to grow up in a city, so we live here. I rarely see him, other than at holidays and some nights. I guess lack of human contact is partly why I am the way I am..." He chuckled humorlessly. "But my dad loves me a lot, and I know that. After I told him about meeting Mika, and how I liked her right away, he actually told me about my mom. She died right after I was born, from complications with the birth," He added in explanation, glancing quickly at Laura again for a second.

"I'm sorry..." Was the only thing Laura could say. She had found herself hanging on his words, eager to hear what he had to say next, and words nearly eluded her altogether, though the part about his mother made her heart give a painful twinge of sympathy for him.

He shrugged. "I don't remember her, but thanks. I never knew much about her before then, but that night, my dad sat me down and told me the story of how he met her. They were in middle school together in some small town in Illinois, and he first saw her across a crowded hallway on the first day of school..." He smiled half-heartedly, fondly remembering the memory that wasn't even his. "Really cliche, I know. He ran across that hallway just to introduce himself to her, ran into a trashcan, and fell in a heap on the floor. She helped him up and wham! They were together ever since."

Laura resisted the urge to squeal, "How romantic!" Instead, she just focused intently on whatever Reese had to say next.

"My dad said he knew right away that they had a connection. And that's how I felt when I saw Mika. So, at Gina's party, I got to kiss her and..." He closed his eyes, smiling wider. "Wham!"

Laura couldn't help but smile faintly. When Reese sounded so sincere, so much more alive than she had ever seen him, how could she possibly hate him? Of course, there was the rest of the story to be heard...plenty of time for a new opinion to be formed, even if she didn't want to believe that what he had done was bad.

"But," Reese sighed. "I didn't notice that Travis liked her too. So, I was helping Gina and Josh clean up at the party when Travis asked her to walk home with him. I found out the next day that they were going out, and I was so...crushed. I couldn't understand, because I couldn't help feeling that Mika liked me just as much as I liked her. I didn't even show up at soccer practice for the first time _ever_. It was just...I _knew _everything was all wrong."

He looked sheepish for a moment. "I suppose I could have gone about it in a better way. But I just knew that Mika wanted to be with me too, so I kept butting heads with Travis, trying to make her see that I was fighting for her, trying to win her over..." He ran a hand through his dirty blonde locks, face edged with indecision. "And then, that night at her party, it was raining, and I went to help her clean up all the stuff outside. I kissed her again, even though she was with Travis."

Laura was instantly reminded of that night, a few weeks before. She remembered the two of them going outside to retrieve the soaked refreshments and cover the pool in the pouring rain, and Mika had come back embarrassed, Reese a bit more...triumphant. It all made sense now. Laura had spoken with Mika later, as they had been making popcorn, and Mika's eyes had held a faint gleam of sadness in them as she spoke of the relationship between her and Travis...a relationship breaking slowly, from the inside out, even though no one but Mika and Reese had known at the time what was to eventually happen. Laura felt a knot form in her stomach.

"And then, that night at the movies...it was actually Gina who convinced me to go. I was with her, Roberto, and Josh at an ice-cream parlor in town that night. Gina knew just how much I liked Mika, and, after Mika called her and told her that she was stranded at the theater, Gina told me to go. I was surprised that she supported what I wanted to do, and Josh and Roberto did too, but I didn't need telling twice." Laura realized that his story went along seamlessly with Gina's, so neither had lied.

"I ran there so fast I think I set a personal best for the mile run. I let my heart do the talking. Of course, I did _not_ expect Trav to show up and see it...but I can't say I regret it, because Mika has made me happier than I've ever been in my life. She makes me _care_...and I've never really cared before, so it's a new experience for me!" The amazed tone to his voice had returned. "No one's _ever _done that for me before. And I can't even _begin _to tell you how glad I was when she said I made her feel the same."

Laura was surprised, and oddly, moved by the tale Reese had woven for her. She didn't know Reese well, but, just seeing how his face lit up as he spoke about his girlfriend, Laura liked him scads more than she had before - despite the road he had taken to get said girlfriend, which was like a dark spot on his resume of life. She could almost feel the depth of his affection for Mika, and could sense that it ran deeper than anyone had realized. However, she couldn't help but feel that whatever his feelings were, they didn't condone turning into a wrecker of relationships, or hurting Travis, someone she was sure Reese had considered a friend before they had begun chasing after the same girl. And it was only junior high! He was taking this love business way too seriously...

Reese seemed to sense what she was thinking. "I was willing to do _anything _to be near Mika, Laura. When I'm motivated, I'm motivated. And that included hurting Travis....but I do feel bad about that, a bit..." He shrugged, and leaned his head back, tilting it to the sky, grey eyes conflicted. "Travis getting hurt was pretty terrible. He was one of my best friends. But I don't regret what I did, because I know it was how things were meant to be...you know?"

It was the first time he had asked for her input. Laura took time to gather her thoughts, still absorbing what Reese had told her. Now that she knew his motives for wanting to be with Mika, she honestly felt like she understood _why _he hurt Travis. She couldn't say she agreed with it, but she did see where he was coming from, which was a start.

"I can kinda of see what you're getting at," Laura replied slowly, still sifting through her jumbled thoughts. "And I can understand that you think you belong with Mika, so you were willing to do anything to be with her."

"I don't think. I _know_."

Laura was taking aback by the seriousness in his tone. Taking a moment to collect herself, she went on, "What I mean is, there probably were better options to going about that; ones that wouldn't involve you hurting Travis so badly. I think he was going to be hurt any way you sliced it, but you could have softened the blow, instead of...I don't know...shoving it in his face? He was really hurt, you know."

She recalled the pain in Travis's eyes, earlier that afternoon.

"_I'm willing to hear _her _out, but I will not talk to that back-stabber Reese. None of us would even be in this mess if it weren't for him. No matter what....I'm not going to listen to anything he says_!"

Reese considered that with clouded grey eyes, his lips pursed. After a minute, he admitted, keeping his eyes firmly on the bright sky above, "...I guess I really wasn't taking Trav's feelings into consideration much...or at all. But it was just so hard to see them together for those few weeks, and he...he was shoving it in _my_ face...I got pretty bitter, I'll admit it. I'm not altogether sure he knew I liked Mika when they got together...but I just couldn't help feeling that he did it on purpose, just to spite me. We were already competing for a spot on the soccer team...He got that spot the day he forgot his movie date with Mika."

Reese sighed and smiled faintly, running a hand through his dirty blonde locks. "I...I did try and explain myself to Travis once. You know...yesterday. At the ball field," He pointed to the splint on his nose and smiled ruefully. "You can see how well _that _conversation went. I'm pretty sure he'd rather talk to anyone else_ but_ me. I don't want us to fight forever, but he's never been this mad before..."

Laura frowned, though she knew it was true. "He's just hurt, Reese. He....he thought of you as a friend, and he feels that you went behind his back to hurt him. I don't think he even _wants _an explanation, because that's not going to take those hurt feelings away..." She explained, biting her lip.

Reese peered at her quizzically, brow furrowed. "If he doesn't want an explanation, then what can I do? That's all I have...I'm not going to break up with Mika, if that's what you're thinking, because even if we got together in a way that wasn't exactly..._kind_....we're still happy, being together..." He expressed, gesturing with his hands to emphasize his point. He appeared adamant that he would not sever ties with Mika over Travis's friendship.

Laura sighed, breath fluttering gently past her lips. Reese may have tried explaining himself to Travis...but she had a feeling that an explanation _wasn't _what Travis was looking for from his former friend. The raven-haired boy was smart enough to have a guess as to why Reese had gone after Mika - it was fairly obvious, from a general standpoint, and Travis didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Travis didn't want to know the why, of that Laura was certain. But, she had seen in his eyes the desire for something else...something she hoped Reese was willing to give, especially if it would amend all of the wrongs that had been done.

Laura drew in a deep breath, and spoke her mind, praying that the result would be favorable.

"An explanation only tries to _justify _a wrong. An apology tries to mend it."

Laura stared at the concrete beneath her feet and Reese's grey eyes shifted, boring into the side of her head. Laura bit her lip again, not wanting to look into his face and see what her words had done to him. For a long moment, there was nothing but the faint breeze brushing through the grass and the burning of the sun on their faces, until Laura sensed that Reese had turned away and was staring straight forward instead, as if contemplating what she had said. And then, she heard what sounded like a chuckle.

A chuckle. And not a humorless one.

From _Reese _- who was more or less an android. And what he said next made Laura's eyes widen in utter amazement.

"You know what, Laura? You're right."

Reese's voice had not only become much more cheerful, but his eyes had too. Laura turned to peer at him, surprised by the sudden one-eighty he had pulled, and saw that he was smiling - actually _smiling_. Laura opened her mouth to speak, but could find no words - she was simply astonished by his sudden change, and even more stunned that _she _had caused it.

"I've tried explaining myself, ignoring him, and yelling, when all he probably wanted to hear from me was an apology. And I'm stupid for not realizing that - because it's the most obvious thing in the world. And even though I don't regret what I did, I didn't want Travis to get hurt, because he is one of my best friends..." He trailed off, and the cheer in his eyes dimmed into worry as he remembered just how angry the raven-haired boy was. "But...do you think he'll even listen to me? I'm really not in the mood to have any other bones broken."

Laura looked up at him sincerely, and offered him her best friendly smile, feeling a large weight fall of her shoulders in the process - leaving only a very small burden remaining. With every genuine feeling in her heart, she professed to the grey-eyed boy, "It doesn't hurt to try, you know. Travis said he'd be willing to hear Mika out...and no matter how mad he is, I know Travis has a good heart, and if you apologize I just know you guys can be friends again!"

Reese's face was expressionless for a moment as he digested her words, and then, a small smile crept onto his lips. Without a word, he got to his feet, slinging his soccer bag over his shoulder, and at first, Laura thought he was just going to walk away, but instead he looked over his shoulder at her, the smile still firmly on his face. And, with a wave of his hand, the stoic boy said, grey eyes clear and voice cheerier than Laura had ever heard it,

"Thanks, Laura. You've helped me a lot...and I appreciate it. If you hadn't been here to talk to me, I don't think I would have ever apologized to Travis. I'm going to go see if he's home right now, so we can sort everything out as soon as possible."

Laura grinned, her heart feeling even lighter. "Don't mention it, Reese. I just hope that everything can work itself out."

"It will. At least...I'm hoping so."

And with those final words, Laura watched him, the picture of defiance, walk away down the concrete trail, soon out of sight as he turned around a corner of the school. The emotions in her heart were still somewhat muddled, though she could feel an unyielding hope, shining through where there was once only turmoil. If all went well, the rift that had been dividing her friends would finally be fixed - for it was the feud between Reese and Travis that had started the whole debacle, and if that fight was resolved than all of the other imbalances could be cure. And Laura, as she looked up at the reliable sky and relaxed against the warmth of the bench, had the utmost faith that it would all be okay. She had gone from drowning in darkness to clear skies, all in one day - and the sun was peeking through, just waiting to shine.

"...I hope so too..."

* * *

Underneath the darkening late-day sky, the ham-hams, plus Joy, Sprint and Screech, stood on the outskirts of Dreamland, just beyond the gate, staring out at a sea of grey clouds as a swift breeze ruffled their fur. Maxwell, Dexter, and Boss had spent a good two hours briefing them of the plan, making sure everyone knew what they had to do for a victory. Now, the plan was firmly set in everyone's heads, and their hearts were pounding with anticipation and determination, though a few of the weak-hearted hams, Dexter and Oxnard in particular, looked like they were going to spill their guts - literally.

The time to attack Steel had crept up on them like a preying cat, and, after what may have been a final dinner of sunflower seed casserole and other Dreamland delicacies, Screech had announced that now or never time had come upon them. Inhabitants of Dreamland had watched from their windows as the ham-hams, Joy, and the knights made their brave trek to the outskirts of the town - some angry, others worried for the prospective heroes. However, the citizens had been told to remain in their homes and shops, so not to hassle them before their climactic battle with the greatest villain they had ever encountered, though, in reality, the absence of life on the glittering blue streets had actually made the ham-hams even more uneasy, like they were on some kind of horrible death march.

"Okay, while we wait for Cirrus, Stratus, Nimbus, and Cumulus to get the doves for us, let's make sure everyone knows the first part of the plan!" Boss announced, pulling a map out of the pack strapped to his back, sitting down on the ground, and spreading it out so the other hams could see as they crowded eagerly around him.

Tracing his paw along the paper, Boss remarked, "Here's Dreamland, where we are now!" He pointed, and then swept his paw toward another landmark - what looked like a castle with an 'X' crossed over it. The ham-ham's eyes followed his motion, their ears twitching. "And here are the ruins of the old castle where Steel is! We'll be flying right over these woods, here - " He pointed again, tapping the map. " - and use the leaf parachutes to land there. If we land in the woods, and the doves aren't spotted, Steel won't see us coming when we creep up on the castle!"

"We got it, Boss!" Hamtaro cheered, smiling, despite the fighting fire burning in his chocolate eyes. He had a sword strapped to his side - as he was the only one with sword-handling experience besides the knights, he was the only one who had been entrusted with one. He pumped a fist, an action that was repeated by his older friend. "Before he even knows what's happening, Steel will be begging for mercy from the ham-hams!"

"He won't know what hit 'im!" Howdy remarked, chuckling as he placed his paws on his hips. "But I guess she will, 'cuz he knows _us_. And _we're _gonna hit 'im! Har har!"

Dexter shook his head, rolling his eyes to the heavens. "Now is not the time for immaturity, Howdy!" He said, tone exasperated. "Unless you plan to defeat Steel with mediocre jokes!"

"My jokes ain't mediocre, yer just too _stupid _to understand how hilarious they are!"

"Maybe in an alternate reality where I'm stupid and you're actually _funny_..."

"I resent that, you bow-tie wearin' - !"

"You buck-toothed squinty - !"

"Guys!" Stan bellowed, stepping between them to keep the pair from fighting - not a move that he, as an instigator of similar fights, would usually make. "Like, chill! Now's not the time to be fighting each other! We've got a bigger and stronger ham to worry about fighting - you know, one named after a metal!"

Sandy stepped forward in support of her twin. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Stan is like, right! We can't be focusing on our own little tiffs right now, because we have bigger problems to worry about!"

"Yeah!" Cappy added, bobbing his head and taking a page from Boss's book. "We've got some enemy tail to kick!"

Screech, in a more somber mood and decked out in his coal-black armor once again, asked, peering around at all of the ham-hams with stern blue eyes, "Is everybody sure of the plan - 100% _sure_? We cannot afford any mistakes - Gale told me that even the slightest error can be catastrophic! You've faced a strong enemy before, I know..." His face darkened, and he looked off into the grey horizon, as if looking at the ham-hams had become difficult. "...but this enemy is much stronger than your last. We must stay on task...or the results could be _fatal_."

His last word, and all of it's implications, seemed to ring in the air like a tolling bell. The ham-hams, who had been a mix of excitement and nerves, instantly became more serious. The full reality of what they were about to do struck them full force, like a sobering cloud had enveloped them. They exchanged concerned, worried glances - as if the thought of defeat had just now struck them, and the possibilities of what could happen as they set out to fight their greatest enemy now seemed far more solemn than before.

Joy stepped forward, the Staff of Dreams glowing faintly in her paw, making her amber eyes shine with brilliant determination. "Screech is right, ham-hams. I have the utmost faith in our ability to defeat Steel, but we need absolute focus if our dreams are going to overtake Steel's nightmares."

Penelope, uttering a small squeak as she tried to put on a brave face, and Pashmina drew her into an assuring hug. "Don't worry, Penelope! Everything is going to be okay!" Pashmina soothed, though her own shoulders had tensed now with anxiety.

"Ookwee..."

"Look!" Panda exclaimed, pointing toward the open gate. "The Watcher's brought the doves - here they come!"

Sure enough, a burst of brilliant snow-white plumage was rapidly approaching from the other side of Dreamland, skimming over the various rooftops. The ham-hams cheered, and waved their paws toward the four Watchers, each one on the back of a dove and holding the reigns of the others, who pulled the birds into a descent toward their passengers. "Hey, heroes!" Cumulus shouted as the doves spiraled down, offering them a playful grin. "We've got your noble steeds ready to go!"

"Hiya, ham-hams!" Cirrus cheered, waving frantically and nearly teetering off of his dove.

The ham-hams huddled together as the doves landed, like one large white mass, before them. The Watchers, all smiling identically, hopped off of their doves with triumphant looks on their faces. "Thanks, you guys! Now we can get to that castle with no problems!" Hamtaro said, walking up to the nearest dove and beaming at it, and it cooed respectfully in return. Chuckling, he brushed a paw across the silky feathers of it's wing, and it cooed once more, obviously pleased. "I think I found mine!"

Each of the ham-hams wandered up to their own dove, Sprint, Joy and Screech swinging themselves up onto the saddles with no difficulty, as they had done so thousands of times before. As the brave hamsters began to make their final preparations for the evening, a tense silence fell. Despite their common goal for the evening, which was to take down Steel, the underlying issues the ham-hams were facing were easily sensed by all. Sandy was making it a point to stay away from Maxwell - though, when she was sure he wasn't looking, she shot him a few fleeting glances, but he seemed completely absorbed in his book, learning about how to fly a dove and not get airsick. Siren had already morphed into Guardian form, as per the plan, and was sitting on the ground, her eyes tilted to the sky, totally silent. Sprint, on the other paw, was readying his dove and checking his sword, not looking in her direction for even a moment. Screech seemed unusually on edge, as if he could sense the tension flowing silently between his sister and best friend, and Panda was also affected in a similar fashion.

Hamtaro was about to swing himself up on the saddle of his dove, watchful of the hilt of his sword, but a paw on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around to see Bijou standing there, a small, but tight smile on her face and blue eyes ghosted with both concern and defiance. "Hamtaro..." She said, eyes flickering down to his arm. "You...you are wearing ze ribbon I gave you?"

"Heke?" Hamtaro followed her gaze, and saw the blue fraying ribbon tied firmly to his arm. He had tied in there, in remembrance of their last battle - when Bijou had given it to him for luck before he faced Spyke at Hamwall. "Oh, yeah! It brought me luck last time, Bijou, so I thought it might be _luck-E_ again!" He grinned widely, his cheeks dusted with magenta.

Bijou's smile grew larger for a split second, and her eyes seemed to regain some of their old shine. "I am surprised you kept eet, after all of zis time! It ees zo ratty and dirty, I zought you might 'ave thrown eet away!"She gently reached forward, caressing the tattered ribbon with a soft, pink paw.

Hamtaro looked at her, confused. "But why wouldn't I keep it, Bijou? You gave it to me, so it's important to me, of course!"

Bijou's heart quickened at his words, and she basked in the warmth of his smile. She recalled how they had danced together the night before, under the moon, and she felt a lump rise in her throat. They were about to face danger the likes of which they had never seen, and as Screech told them earlier, just coming back alive was going to be remarkably difficult. She had been torn, for a very long time, over confessing what she felt for the lovable orange-furred hero, but had refrained for fear that he would either laugh in her face, or not comprehend what she had said. Now, in light of their conversation on the dance-floor at the banquet, Bijou couldn't help feeling that she couldn't put it off much longer, especially if their time was limited. She would never be able to forgive herself, if she never got those feelings off of her chest...

"Hamtaro?" She prompted softly, averting her gaze to the ground at their feet, as she found his chocolate eyes far too intense. "I....zere is somezing I haff wanted to tell you for a very long time, and I do not zink I can put eet off any longer!"

Hamtaro felt his heart speed up, but tilted his head to the side in befuddlement. "Heke? What is it Bijou? You can tell me anything!"

Bijou drew in a deep breath, her hound pounding furiously in her ears, cheeks a brilliant shade of pink. She found her voice, and began, trying to stay strong despite the rapid weakening of her knees and nerves,

"Hamtaro, I - "

"Attention everyone!" Joy's voice abruptly cut through the air, cutting Bijou off and silencing all other side conversations. Joy, Sprint, and Steel had steered their doves to the very edge of Dreamland, so they were ready to hurl themselves off into their uncertain fate on gossamer wings, each of their faces the very picture of outright determination. "The time has come to leave! Make sure your leaf-parachutes are attacked to your packs, mount your doves, and be ready for takeoff in thirty seconds!"

The ham-hams, heeding her words, began to hop aboard their doves, or started re-checking their packs to make sure they had everything they needed. Soon enough, just about everyham was herded to the edge of Dreamland, and even Siren had braced her wings for take-off. Hamtaro turned his inquiring brown eyes back onto Bijou, and asked, "Sorry, Bijou - but what was it you wanted to say?"

Joy's sudden announcement had made Bijou's resolve waver completely, and she no longer felt the strength needed to make her true affections known. Instead, she offered Hamtaro a weak smile, kissed him quickly on the cheek, and whispered, "Good luck. I have faith zat you will be a _wondachu _hero, once again!"

And with that, she tore her eyes from him and scampered over to the last vacant dove. Hamtaro, absently placing a paw on the cheek that Bijou had kissed. His dove, sensing that his mind was elsewhere, pecked him gently atop the head and he was instantly brought back into reality. He scrambled to get properly into the saddle, trying hard to put a game face on, but he found it incredibly difficult not to send fleeting glances at Bijou, wondering if that was really all she had to tell him. Why had she gotten so nervous? His mind began to wander, but he knew that there was a very important task at paw and, keeping his mind mainly on the mission they had been entrusted with, he steered his dove over to the edge of Dreamland, just as the others had, and waited for Joy's signal.

"Is everybody ready?" Sprint's voice sounded over the rustling of feathers. As it reached Hamtaro's ears, he felt chills of anticipation slither up his spine, and the fire in his heart began to sizzle with a greater power.

"Ready!" Every ham-ham chorused. Their paws tightened around the reigns of their doves.

"Good luck, everyone!" The four Watchers exclaimed in unison, standing behind the throng of doves in total support. Their bright blue eyes were gleaming with faith for all of the hopeful heroes, who held their fate in capable paws. "All of Dreamland is behind you!"

"Get ready, hams!" Screech called out. "And remember the plan! Ready...now take off!"

Hamtaro felt a swooping sensation in his stomach as his dove was suddenly airborne, flinging itself out over the sea of endless grey, and he immediately tightened his grip on the reigns, staying low against the saddle to keep himself balanced. The wind whipped past his face, and he had to squint to see what was going on in front of him - he could see Sprint, Joy, Screech, and Boss out in front of the back, the rest of the doves and their riders fanned out in a perfectly organized V-formation. Obviously, the birds knew where they were going and Hamtaro's mind was free to roam as he soared across the darkening, cloudy sky toward what he hoped would be an important part of his destiny.

"_Steel has caused so much pain to hamsters all over the world..._" Hamtaro thought, brown eyes narrowed as they flew forward in complete silence. He recalled the nightmare - the fiendish beast with the brilliant red eyes, Steel's maniacal laughter, and the silvery full moon that had shone overhead, sinister and haunting. "_And we have to do everything we can in order to make sure he's stopped!_ _I will fight for as long as I have to, so long as hamkind is safe again!_"

This time, the journey had been much more perilous than Hamwall.

But the stakes, this time, seemed higher - more real.

He would not allow for failure - not when so many hams were counting on them to save them from the terrible tyranny of Steel. He would make sure Steel was felled - even if he had to fight until the end.

* * *

The flight to Hamaustere was relatively short, though the ham-hams, Sprint, Joy, and Screech felt that they had mentally prepared themselves as best as they could when they began to fly over the forest they were supposed to make their landing in. Though, when he saw the dilapidated, crumbling form of Hamaustere Castle in the distance, Dexter couldn't help uttering a small squeak, almost all of his courage fleeing from him. Oxnard gulped as he saw the dark castle, small beads of perspiration breaking out on his forehead.

"Relax..." Screech said, though, as the doves slowed their pace over the black trees, he kept his voice lower, icy eyes stern. "It's not the castle we need to be cautious."

"You're right..." Stan muttered darkly under his breath. "It's the sadistic psycho-ham waiting inside of it!"

Pashmina, eyes reflecting pure worry with only a trace of fear, observed Hamaustere Castle with trembling paws as they drew nearer to it. It was so dark and mysterious...and sad. Like a fading memory, unwanted and forgotten by those who used to care about it. And yet, it gave off a truly creepy air, and, as she looked from the ivy-riddled walls to the desolate courtyard, something interesting caught her eye, and she leaned forward - a bit too far - on the saddle, squinting.

"Hey, guys? I think I see that same red li - AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

One second, Pashmina had been leaning forward for a better look, and the next she was hurtling toward the vast expanse of dark trees, tumbling head over paws through open air. Her scream tore through the early night air and pierced her friends' ears, so soon, all eyes were all the fallen ham and her rapid descent toward what was sure to be a very painful landing. The ham-hams gasped, shocked by the sudden turn of events and unexpected start to their siege on Hamaustere.

"Ookwee! OOKWEE!" Penelope shrieked.

"Pashmina!" Howdy and Dexter shouted, horror-stricken, a sentiment quickly echoed by the other hams.

"Pull your leaf-parachute!" Joy instructed sharply, as Siren prepared to swoop down and rescue her friend if necessary, though the scarved ham-ham was falling so fast it would be very hard to catch up with her, even with the Guardian's strength.

Pashmina, only seconds from hitting the trees full-force, fumbled with the front of her backpack before she finally located the ripcord and pulled it. The strong leaf unfurled with a snapping noise, and soon, the golden-rod furred hamgirl was sighing with relief, floating downward at a leisurely pace, though she had trouble calming her thundering heart. Above, still on their doves, the ham-hams also relaxed, glad to see that Pashmina would be alright.

"Like, that was awful!" Sandy shivered. "If she hadn't had that parachute..."

"Indeed, and I'm glad she's okay," Screech said, as he pulled his dove to a stop, the others following suit behind him - though his eyes seemed concerned over a different matter as well. "But that scream was loud enough to have been heard for miles..." He trailed off.

Tha ham-hams fell silent, absorbing that news. "You mean...at Hamaustere Castle, too?" Boss asked solemnly, all traces of excitement now gone from his demeanor. Screech didn't need to answer - the grimness of his face was answer enough.

A chill settled over the ham-hams as they exchanged numerous looks of varied concern and fear at this unexpected occurrence. If Steel had heard Pashmina's scream at the castle, then their plans of surprise were likely ruined - or, at least, Steel would wonder where it had come from, and it was sure to raise his suspicions and decrease their chances of catching him off-guard. Joy's commanding voice cut through their worries as she tried to keep them on task, before they got too riled up about the possibilities, though she too, was disturbed about their plan being potentially ruined,

"In any case, we have to strike fast. It's time to jump! Get ready, hams!"

Drawing in deep breaths to calm themselves, the ham-hams slid off their doves and plunged toward the dark treetops, just as Pashmina had. Their leaf-parachutes erupted like tiny green balloons across the sky, and the leaves tickled them as they fluttered down through the treetops, the cloudy sky vanishing in favor of a dim, thick forest that smelled of pine and, oddly enough, rust. They landed in a clearing, as planned, and could see through the breaks in the canopies that their doves were flying away, as planned, to return to the forest only when the battle had begun, in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

"Is everyone accounted for?" Maxwell asked, brushing some dry grass from his coat. He did a quick head-count, and everyone, including a shaken Pashmina, was present.

Siren, still in Guardian form, led the trek through the dense woods, biting through any sharp branches that got in their way, while Screech and Sprint, on either side, hacked at the underbrush with their swords. As they headed toward the eventual exit, the ham-hams looked around and noticed, through the dimness of the trees, what appeared to be an accumulation of ruins of huts and small houses, made of stone, mud, and wood. Cappy even tripped over what looked to be a rusted old sign, though what had been carved into it was no longer legible. The smell of rust and decay was stronger now, piercing their nostrils like a thick, pungent cloud.

"What _was _this place?" Panda asked aloud, a note of wonder to his voice, as they passed the remnants of what may have been a playground for young hamsters.

Joy replied, though she refused to direct her amber eyes onto the ruins, keeping her tone strict and businesslike, though an inner turmoil swirled in her eyes, "These are the remains of the village of Hamaustere - it was destroyed by the forces of Hamelot years ago. The castle itself is abandoned as well - at least, it was until Steel took it over..."

Maxwell looked confused. "I thought that Princess Hamorette's father, King Hamvil, was the King of Hamelot...did _he_ destroy Hamaustere?"

Mechanically, as if they had been taught, Screech, Sprint, and Joy chorused, "It's a long story," and although the ham-hams were surprised, they knew the discussion was closed and did not press the matter. There were more important things to think about, anyway...like surviving the night, when so very much was on the line, though they did realize that the tone Joy and the knights had taken was extremely ominous...foreboding, even....

After about five more minutes of hiking, the ham-hams, the knights, and Joy finally reached the edge of the forest, and they broke out from the trees into the cool air of pending night and damp grass beneath their toes. Before them, only about twenty feet away, loomed the dark ruins of Hamaustere Castle, shrouded in shadow and gloom. At the sight of it, the heroes felt their heartbeats quicken and their blood begin to race in their veins. Battle was not far on the horizon now...

"Be extra quiet...and remember who your squadron is!" Screech whispered lowly, icy eyes narrowed and paw lingering toward his sword hilt. "I'll take Hamtaro, Bijou, Oxnard, and Boss in the back entrance, and we'll look for Steel right away..." The ham-hams he mentioned nodded in agreement, recalling the plan.

"I'll take Maxwell, Sandy, Stan, Penelope, and Pashmina in the front entrance to try and take Nikolai out of the picture...he's more of a threat than we think!" Joy hissed, and the ham-hams named nodded as well, determination glowing on their faces.

"That leaves Siren, Panda, Dexter, Howdy, and I to wait out here to watch and wait for the signal if you guys need our help," Sprint finished, and his team nodded.

"Alright..." Hamtaro muttered, brown eyes focused on the haunting castle before them - the setting for what was sure to be an epic battle of good versus evil. He felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up, but would let nothing - absolutely nothing, stop him. "Let's go!"

Underneath a heavily cloudy sky, they crept forward on silent, but steady paws, through the dewey grass, the ham-hams lined up behind their leaders - Sprint, Screech, or Joy - and trooped forward toward their fate. There were no jokes made by Howdy, no reprimands from Dexter, and no squeals from Penelope - all was silent and completely still as they pressed forward, knowing that even the slightest noise would awaken the monster waiting within the castle walls. Somewhere inside, Steel was waiting, with the Stone of Slumber in paw, ready to combat whatever they brought against him. Soon, they stood in the courtyard - which was only faintly lit by the moonlight filtering in from between the dense clouds.

"Does everybody know their position?" Boss asked for clarification, and their was a rush of nods.

"Geed, then it's time to - "

A deep, sinister and horribly familiar laugh cut through the air and wafted down to the ham-hams ears like a declaration of death. Eyes widening in horror and surprise, they looked up to see that there, standing up on the ledge of the balcony jutting over the courtyard, was their enemy - Steel, his blue eyes wickedly gleeful and the Stone of Slumber gleaming eerily in his paws, pulsing with a stronger crimson light than ever before and making his iron-grey face shine red. Pashmina, recognizing it as the familiar light that had made her fall from her dove earlier, gasped as chills tingled up each of their spines,

"That light - I saw it earlier! Steel - he's been here the _whole _time!"

"That's right, brave heroes!" Steel taunted, glaring down at them like a predator surveying his prey. Here they were, like sitting ducks - just as he had presumed. "I know the ways of Dreamland like the back of my paw! I've been waiting all day for your arrival, and you didn't disappoint me! Have you come for your precious princess? Because I'm afraid I'm not quite ready to let her go, just yet!"

"Steel!" Screech bellowed, though he was angry that all their carefully-crafted plans were, essentially, ruined now that Steel knew they had come. With fire in his eyes, the knight raised his sword toward Steel and remarked, "Your tyranny ends tonight! We will save the princess, and we will defeat you once and for all!"

Despite their initial shock, the rest of the ham-hams rallied around Screech, staring up at Steel with hate in their eyes. But the grey ham merely laughed again, as if their resolve to beat him was nothing more than a simple joke. Hamtaro and Boss exchanged a confused look - it appeared as if Steel knew something that they didn't, judging from the extra-evil look in his eye...

"I find that hard to believe..." Steel commented airily, twirling his scepter. "For tonight is not the end of me, it is something _else _entirely..." He smirked, obviously hiding something from them that irked Hamtaro and the others to no end.

"You don't stand a chance, Steel!" Boss barked angrily. "Not against all of us!"

Steel feigned surprise. "Why, have you all forgotten?" He asked innocently. "I'm not acting _alone_. Why, in fact, I'm _not _the one who will be tearing you limb from limb tonight. I've decided to be gracious and turn the task of obliterating you weaklings over to my comrade. After all, why should I have all the fun?...._Fury_!"

The ham-hams jumped as, right before there eyes, Fury melted out of the darkness of the castle wall, her grey eyes still dull and the Staff of Nightmares beginning to glow brilliant crimson in her paws. She stood just a few feet away, though, in the iridescent light of her staff, the ham-hams, Joy, and the knights could see that something wasn't right about the brainwashed hamgirl, and it made their breath hitch in their throats. Her fur looked damp, as if from a cold sweat, and her teeth, bared, looked more pointed than normal hamster teeth. Her eyes, though lifeless, were bloodshot and half-closed, and she was panting heavily.

"Fury...?" Screech questioned alarmed. She looked...

"Oh, _no_!"

Joy, for the first time since the ham-hams had known her, dropped the Staff of Dreams in the dark grass and her paws flew to her face, amber eyes wide and completely mortified. Her body began to quake, and she turned to Screech with an unreadable expression on her face, behavior that frightened the ham-hams. "Screech!" Joy exclaimed. "We should have...she's....what's the date?!"

Screech thought for a moment, and then, the color drained from his face as the horrific realization settled upon him. Whatever had struck Joy and Screech so suddenly was a mystery to the ham-hams, but Sprint seemed to realize it as well and his jaw fell open, crimson eyes incredulous. "It can't be..." Sprint mumbled, looking almost at a loss for word as he stared, terrified, at Fury. "Not tonight...not _tonight_...!"

"Yes, _tonight_!" Steel yelled wickedly, holding his scepter high over his head. "Tonight, you ham-hams will meet your miserable fates! Prepare to meet your worst nightmare..._literally_!"

A shot of red light burst from the Stone of Slumber and up into the dark grey of the sky. As if willed by Steel, the clouds touched by the crimson light parted to reveal a glittering black sky - and a brilliant, silvery full moon, straight out of the nightmare Steel had brought them. The courtyard was instantly bathed in the moonlight, and Fury, before them, fell to her knees and let out a strangled, furious cry as the moonlight struck her, as if the silvery beams gave her physical pain. The Staff of Nightmares fell to the grass, still pulsing with crimson light.

"_No_!" Joy, Screech, and Sprint screamed, while the ham-hams merely watched in horror.

* * *

**CFB:** And the final battle begins! Dundundun!

**Next time:** The ham-ham's plans are ruined! Steel knows they've come, and when the clouds clear...the ham-hams are going to discover why that night was a bad one to attack Steel! For the moon concealed a dark secret that is finally out in the open, and Screech's words about this stand being fatal may prove true...a furious battle is about to take place, under the moonlight! Will Maxwell be able to prove that Sandy is more important than his books?

**IMPORTANT:** If you ever wondered what my OC's from GT and this story look like, a slideshow on Youtube will be up Thursday or Friday featuring them! The link will be in my profile, hopefully, so look for it very soon!


	16. Furious Moonlight

**CFB:** MANY APOLOGIES FOR THE LATENESS! And after writing this, I know why I rated this fic T. BECAUSE THERE WILL BE BLOOD!

And _supercomputer276_ has pointed out to me that the last chapter was chapter 14, not thirteen. My apologies for the error, and thank you very much for pointing it out!

**This time:** Fury's darkest secret is revealed under the full moon! The ham-hams must split up as a new, deadly threat enters the battle. Can Sprint and Siren put aside their differences and work together to fight off this new danger, or will they both be struck down? And just _how _will Maxwell prove his devotion to Sandy when in the face of mortal peril?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hamtaro. If I did....well, let's not think about it. I own all concepts and characters not related to the original Hamtaro franchise, but some ideas I merely twisted for my own use, like Dreamland.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15:** _Furious Moonlight_

The heroes looked on helplessly as Fury began her transformation, grunting and crying in agony as the treacherous moonlight spilled over her. The muscles on her back began to ripple and grow under her fur, until she came to be the size of at least six hamsters. Her paws extended and grew out into fierce, pointed claws, her legs and feet following suit, until she was on all fours, claws tearing into the grass easily and shredding the ground beneath her feet. Her ears grew until they were pointed, like a canine, and her mouth grew into a snout, snapping, saliva dripping hungrily from razor-sharp fangs. What had once been a pink stub of a tail was now long and furry, stirring the air behind the creature. Every inch of fur was bristling, and the only indication that the beast had ever been Fury was the russet ears, and large diamond marking on it's forehead. The cries of anguish that had been spilling from it's snout became vicious, predatory snarls, jaws snapping the air in front of it, as if searching for it's next meal. Her eyes, once a deep grey, were now a crazed, and terribly familiar, blood-thirsty red.

The creature now standing where Fury had been threw it's shaggy head back, tilted it's snarling snout toward the moon that had cursed it so and let out a slow, mournful howl. The ham-hams, knights, and Joy were immobilized as the sound penetrated their ears, a haunting melody against the cloudy black sky; a call of death. The howl trailed off, and the fierce beast lowered its head again, staring at the ham-hams with glowing crimson orbs, running a ruby-red tongue across black lips, twisted muzzle coated with saliva. The ham-hams realized with a start that they were staring into the monstrous face of the mysterious beast from their nightmare, only this time, the danger was real and the fear in their hearts was far more intense now that they knew what the creature was.

"Meet Fury's _true _form, brave heroes, and the _real _horror behind the Staff of Nightmares!" Steel sneered from his perch on the balcony, smirk impeccable and eyes flashing as he gleefully basked in their horror struck expressions. "The _were-ham_!"

The were-ham, at the mention of it's name, let out a ferocious roar that shook the ground and stamped its hind foot, like a bull about to charge. Screech, Sprint, Joy, Hamtaro, Siren, and Boss composed themselves from their initial shock and lowered their bodies into defensive stances, those with weapons raising them, while the other ham-hams continued to stare slack-jawed at the creature that had hunted them in their sleep.

"This is bad..." Screech muttered under his breath, and Hamtaro shot him a sidelong glance. "In all the mayhem, I totally forgot that tonight was the full moon...now, the challenge is far greater than before! The were-ham is uncontrollable...even if Fury had been on our side, it wouldn't have mattered."

"What do you _mean_?" Pashmina cried in disbelief, hiding a quivering Penelope behind her protectively.

Joy's expression darkened as she hastily scooped up the Staff of Dreams from where she had dropped it, though she never removed her amber eyes from their dangerous new foe. "Fury has always had trouble controlling the were-ham, ever since she was very young. She's tried very hard to suppress the more..._animalistic _nature of the beast, but...it's an impossible battle. The were-ham follows its instincts completely, and its number one instinct...is to _kill_."

As if on cue, the were-ham let out another savage growl, accompanied by Steel's wicked laughter.

"We can still do this!" Hamtaro quipped, tightening his grip on his gleaming sword, though as he stared at the terrible form of the were-ham in front of him, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Whatever confidence he had built up for the pending battle began to falter somewhat, as he recalled the vivid nightmare, and how this reality was ten times worse...

"Tell you what, ham-hams..." Steel taunted darkly from his balcony perch, azure eyes agleam. "If you can get past the wolf, or at least manage to get by with only a couple of your limbs ripped off, _perhaps _I'll consider you a worthy challenge! But good luck with that...her bite is _definitely _worse than her bark!" He turned his frigid gaze onto the were-ham. "And, since my control over her is so strong, she wouldn't dare attack _me! _Enjoy facing your demise, ham-hams!"

With a whirl of his dark blue cape and a flash of red, Steel had disappeared into the castle, his laughter echoing in the air and growing fainter as he grew further away. "Coward!" Boss yelled after him, but it was no use - the maniacal ham had gone into the bowels of the castle, leaving them alone to face the mythical beast with a hunger for hamster.

With a deep growl resonating in its vast chest, the were-ham lunged forward, jaws and claws extended and ready to rip through anything in reach. "Get away!" Joy screamed, and the ham-hams instantly heeded her words and dove away from the leaping beast, though they were thus divided into two separate groups, the were-ham landing directly in between them and cutting them off from one another. Screech, Joy, Hamtaro, Bijou, Boss, Oxnard, Cappy, Sandy, Stan, Maxwell, Pashmina, and Penelope were on one side, with Sprint, Siren, Panda, Howdy, and Dexter on the other, separated by a murderous mass of fur and fangs. Angry that it failed to hit a target, the were-ham let out another bestial howl and focused its blood-red gaze onto Sprint, Siren, Panda, Howdy, and Dexter, ignoring the other hams for the time being. The beast was so close to a mortified Dexter, he could feel its hot breath brushing his whiskers.

Sprint, like a true knight, stepped out to face the beast with his sword extended, crimson eyes narrowed against the overwhelming odds. The were-ham roared in his face, making his fur ripple like windswept grass. "Screech, you and the others go off after Steel! We'll distract the were-ham!" Sprint hollered, as he deflected one of the were-ham's slashing claws with his sword.

"Sprint, there's no way you guys can handle this alone!" Screech yelled back, though he was hesitant to raise his sword fully against the were-ham , for he knew the true Fury was somewhere inside that brutal monster, unable to control her actions.

"Well, it's not like we're gettin' much of a choice now!" Howdy shouted in reply, as he leapt away to avoid another swipe from the were-ham, and it growled angrily in reply, not pleased that it had yet to hit a target. "This dumb ol' overgrown dog ain't even payin' attention to you guys! Go on after that sarcastic son of a ham, we'll keep this stupid furball busy!"

Screech and Hamtaro exchanged a helpless look, the ham-hams behind them equally as undecided over the matter. All prior planning was now useless to them, since their attempt at a surprise attack had been foiled, presenting them with an extremely difficult decision: Leave their friends to face the wrath of the were-ham alone, when it looked ready to kill anything it got it's claws on...or seek out Steel, to take down the malicious ham once and for all, before he got too far away? Screech knew he didn't quite have the confidence to take on the love of his life, regardless of the mammoth form she had taken on, but was still reluctant to leave his comrades behind - Hamtaro also didn't want to leave his friends behind, or attack Fury, because he knew she was merely a good ham being manipulated.

"Go!" Panda bellowed adamantly, seeing Screech and Hamtaro hesitate out of the corner of his eye, though most of his attention was occupied by the massive beast trying to claw them all to death. "We'll be fine! We'll keep this monster distracted, you guys go take out Steel and rescue the princess! Hurry!"

The Guardian nodded in agreement with Panda and Sprint, letting out a short grunt, blue eyes narrowed, as it extended its feral claws and slashed at the flank of the were-ham. The sharp nails scraped long red lines through the flesh of the beast, and it let out a piercing howl of indignation and agitation, turning slitted red eyes onto its mythical counterpart. Both the Guardian and the were-ham bared their pointed fangs at the other, each trying to display dominance, and, in the blink of an eye, the were-ham had swept a front leg underneath the Guardian's, and the Guardian, footing lost, fell over in a heap of feathers and fur. Howdy, using his oversized teeth for the good of the cause, ran up and bit the were-ham on the hell. The beast yowled, then kicked backwards, sending Howdy flying, though he regained his footing shortly after.

"What are you waiting for? Get out of here!"

Hamtaro waited only a moment more, before nodding his head defiantly. Honoring his friend's wishes, he turned to the rest of his group and said, voice serious, like a commander rallying his troops at war,"Alright, hams. We've got something very important to do, so be on your guard and stick together, so no more of us get separated! We're going to go into that castle, find Steel and make his nightmares stop!"

"But the others - " Pashmina interjected, fussing worriedly with her scarf.

"They'll be fine!" Joy commented sharply, though her voice wasn't altogether reassuring and her amber eyes quickly darted back to the unfortunate hams facing the were-ham. Dexter, arms-flailing as he ran away, had narrowly avoided being tail-whipped by the creature - had the strike landed, it would have likely snapped his spine in two. "Head for the castle!"

The hamsters, though worried for their friends, turned tail and ran full-speed for the castle. Hamtaro couldn't help sending a worried glance over his shoulder, watching as Panda and Howdy taunted the beast, sticking their tongues out and waggling their ears to draw its attention while the Guardian staggered to its feet, wincing. It flared its coal-black raven wings and took to the air, flying a circle around the were-ham's head to distract it. It swatted at the Guardian with its claws, like a cat trying to catch a bird in flight. Upon reaching the doors to the castle, which were chained shut and locked tight, Joy used the Staff of Dreams to fire a blast of bubble-gum pink energy right at them. The doors exploded into a shower of hot metal and wood splinters, leaving a large, jagged hole for the ham-hams to step through, and, careful of the sharp wood, eventually the entire group was standing in the empty foyer, leaving the wolfish snarls and howls of the were-ham out in the courtyard.

"Steel must be up ze stairs!" Bijou remarked, pointing a delicate paw toward the large, crumbling staircase in front of them. "'E was yelling at us from ze balcony, _non_? If we 'urry, maybe we can catch 'im!"

"You're right, Bijou!" Maxwell added, nodding his head in agreement as he flawlessly maintained his composure. "This castle may be large, but I doubt Steel would leave or at least go very far if he has personal ties here - plus, the princess is locked up somewhere in here, and he wouldn't just leave her for us to find after all the trouble he went through to capture her!"

"Well, then, let's get a move on, hams!" Boss motioned toward the staircase with a paw, eager to begin hunting down their enemy. His brown eyes flashed with anticipation, face set into a steely expression. "Time's a wasting, and we've got to get after Steel before he - "

"Before he _what_?"

All eyes turned to stare in surprise at the top of the stairwell, where Steel stood, leaning against the banister and twirling his scepter idly. His well-placed smirk was impeccable as always, and he appeared completely unfazed by the sounds of battle that could be heard through the gaping hole in the front of the castle, where Sprint's battle yell could be heard ringing in the night air. Hamtaro's eyes widened, as he, as well as the other ham-hams, had assumed Steel would make a run for it, and hide from them while the were-ham tried to dispose of them. But here he was, standing before them like he didn't even consider them a threat.

"Steel!" Sandy shouted, cheeks burning red from anger as she balled her paws into fists and shook them at the iron-furred ham. "Like, you're going to pay for what you've done!"

Steel chuckled, unimpressed by her vehemence. "And _you're _going to pay for your insolence, little ham-hams!" He snarled, turning from casual to malicious in milliseconds as he stopped twirling his scepter and pointed it purposefully at the ham-hams.

The scepter glowed crimson for a moment, and then, a beam of crackling red energy burst forth from the Stone of Slumber, hurtling directly for the ham-hams. Luckily, they had already dodged enough tonight to know what to do in this situation, and once again, their was a division of their forces - Hamtaro, Bijou, Boss, Joy, and Screech flung themselves onto the staircase, lay low, and clung for their lives, while Oxnard, Maxwell, Stan, Sandy, Pashmina, Penelope, and Cappy leapt off to the side and cowered against the wall. The burst of energy struck the stone floor between the two groups, and created a deep, craggy fissure, sending bits of rock, rubble, and an immense dust cloud into the air. The ham-hams coughed and squeezed their eyes shut, waiting for it to clear, the dust stinging their eyes and throats.

After a moment, the dust had cleared enough for Hamtaro to squint up at the top of the stairs, trying to catch a glimpse of sleek grey fur, but the villain had vanished once again, slipping out of their grasp like sand. "_Cats! He got away from us!" _Hamtarocursed inwardly, gritting his teeth and pounding his fist on the stairs beneath him. It looked as if the evening would play out as a game of cat and mouse - he and his comrades scouring the castle for their nemesis, while Steel, in turn, continued to grow even stronger and corrupt the Stone of Slumber further...

"Let's go!" Screech yelled, once the dust had settled enough for them to see and breathe clearly. He, Bijou, Boss, Hamtaro, and Joy began to scamper hurriedly up the staircase, eager to catch up to their enemy, but Stan's voice halted them.

"Yo, hamdudes and dudettes! We're like, stuck over here!"

The group on the stairs turned round to see the other hams - Sandy, Stan, Maxwell, Cappy, Oxnard, Pashmina, and Penelope - trapped against the far wall by the ragged canyon that had been carved into the floor by Steel's attack. Joy scanned the damage quickly, and then commented grimly, looking from Screech to the stranded hams and back again, "There's no safe way across...the jump is too far and making a bridge is potentially dangerous. Besides, we don't have that much time!"

The ham-hams stranded across the cavernous room looked down into the crevice that had been created. They could see clear through to the room below them, which appeared to be some kind of dank, dark hallway, slanting downward slightly, presumably into the lower levels of the castle. Maxwell, brain working rapidly, observed the situation with twitching ears and arrived at a solution within seconds.

"I've got it!" He cried, grinning at his cleverness, despite the dilemma they were in. "We can't make it to the other side, but we can make our way _down_!" He pointed down into the large crevice with an excited paw, then looked over to the hams on the stairs with his eyes agleam with ideas. "You ham-hams can go on ahead, and we'll go down to the lower levels!"

"But why?" Oxnard asked, shivering as he peered meekly into the fissure. "It looks dusty and gross down there...besides, Steel is upstairs!"

"Indeed..." Maxwell agreed with a small wince, but smiled as he remarked, "_But_ this seems to be a standard castle, and if my suspicions prove correct, then if we go down this hole in the floor and follow that hallway, we'll wind up at what _most _castles have beneath them."

"Dungeons!" Joy caught on immediately, pleased by Maxwell's cunning.

The bookworm grinned again. "Precisely! And where else would Steel keep our princess in distress? So while you hams are off chasing after Steel, we'll see if we can find the princess or that Nikolai ham! Then, if all goes well and we find Princess Hamorette, we'll try and find you to lend a paw! There must be another staircase somewhere in the castle...somehow, we'll reach you!"

"Great thinking, Maxy!" Boss crowed, pumping a fist.

The initial pleasure over the new plan was very short-lived, as the reality of the overall situation struck them and a sense of urgency began to take over. "Get going, guys!" Cappy exclaimed, brown eyes large as he stared up at where Steel had previously stood. "If you wanna catch Steel, you're going to have to run fast!"

"Good luck, everyone!" Pashmina called, still blatantly worried, while Penelope cheered, "Ookwee!"

"And to all of you as well!" Bijou returned the sentiment, a worried gleam reaching her eye. Her stomach felt a bit hollow, as she realized that they were about to be separated and would not be in touch with each other, so if anything were to happen to any of the other hams...she shuddered to think about it, not knowing the fates of her closest hammos, while they went off to an equally as dangerous battle.

"We'll see you hams later!" Hamtaro, not even daring to realize the possibility of failure for either of their parties, nodded bravely and confidently toward Maxwell and the other group, before turning tail and sprinting up the stairs on all four paws. After a quick glance back at the other group, Joy, Screech, Boss, and Bijou did the same, until they were gone from sight, off on the same path Steel had taken only moments before. As with before, each ham-ham was reluctant to leave their pals behind, but they could sense that things had gotten dire, and if they didn't split up, the consequences would be much the same.

The faith in their hearts was enough to sustain them for the time being, as they sped off down a dark, cold hallway, chasing their nightmares, and hoping that by the time sunrise came, Steel would have met his defeat, the were-ham would be beaten, Hamorette would be saved from harm, and sleep would no longer be a danger to hamsters everywhere - all without any injuries.

Once the other group had vanished up the stairwell, Maxwell turned to the others and remarked, brown eyes serious, as he realized that time was not on their side, "We'd better hurry, hams! Quick - let's form a ham-ham chain so we can get down to the lower levels and see if we can find the princess!"

* * *

Princess Hamorette and a terrified Nikolai, down in the lowermost levels of Hamaustere Castle, could, despite the great distance between them and the battlefield, hear the blast from Joy's staff, as well as the bestial bellows of the were-ham. Hamorette's prison had been moved from the throne-room to an old, moldy dungeon beneath the ground, where Steel assumed the ham-hams would have a lesser chance of locating her - he claimed it was in a very hard to find location. And, as usual, he had put little Nikolai in charge of watching the regal prisoner, as she sat slumped against the wall in a rank, damp cell that hadn't been used for generations.

A long howl was heard, muffled by the floors separating them from the action, but the quieted sound still wrought havoc on Nikolai's nerves. He shuddered violently. Just imagining the creature that Fury had become, which he had never seen before, made his heart thunder in fear. It certainly _sounded _terrible enough...

"My knights and the brave heroes are coming for me..." Hamorette said, voice trembling only slightly, as she tried to hold her head high. She head another fierce yowl from the were-ham somewhere above, and winced. What if Screech had been on the receiving end of that attack...? Or Sprint, Joy, or any of the ham-hams? She didn't like to imagine that outcome, for she had seen were-ham Fury in action before...

Nikolai was about to ask her to be quiet when another blast was heard - and felt, this time, as the floor quaked slightly beneath them. This time, the explosion sounded much closer than the others...as if it had been inside the castle, as opposed to out. The little tan hamster had a bad feeling about that blast. He knew it was his duty to stand guard over Hamorette, but if the battle had resumed inside the castle walls, Nikolai wasn't sure if Steel would need his help or not...and Steel hadn't said anything about the fight going _inside _the castle.

His fear told him to stay put, but his instincts were telling him that he should go and investigate - at least to make sure that he wasn't needed to do anything else. Casting a quick glance at the distressed damsel in the dungeon, Nikolai scurried out through one of two doors in the room, to the complete bewilderment of Hamorette. She listened as his tiny footsteps faded in the distance, leaving her totally alone in the dank room, lit only by a single, lone torchlight. As the meager fire danced in her weary green eyes, she tried to tune out the were-ham's howls from above and focus solely on the faint hope still resonating in her heart.

* * *

While the other ham-hams plotted their actions and split-up inside the castle, Sprint, Siren, Panda, Howdy, and Dexter continued fighting the were-ham out in the massive courtyard - which, in reality, consisted of Siren and Sprint fighting the were-ham, while Dexter, Panda, and Howdy desperately tried to avoid being decapitated by a stray claw. Despite being larger than all of them put together, the were-ham was also swift and nimble on its feet, making it a difficult target for Steel to strike with his sword or Siren to hit with her claws, and as it snapped and swiped at them, they found it very hard to dodge each time - plus, while the were-ham never seemed to grow weary in it's bloodthirsty frenzy, the ham-hams' limbs felt a bit more like lead with each step or jump.

"Don't let it bite you, hams!" Sprint warned fiercely, as he danced to avoid the snapping jaws of the were-ham, his own crimson eyes wild. "If just _one _fang touches you, you'll be cursed just like Fury was!" The others needed no warning - they had read enough fairy tales to know about the deadly curse that came with a were-ham bite.

"Well, we can't just keep dodging forever!" Dexter panted wearily, after several long minutes of running around and avoiding claws and fangs, though he received a bit of a reprieve when the were-ham began to chase after the airborne Guardian for a moment. Dexter leaned over, paws on his knees, breathing heavily, though watchful, making sure the were-ham didn't turn on him again. "We're going to have to beat it _somehow_!"

The were-ham was strong and brutal, and that was evident in the way it had ripped the ground apart in pursuit of the ham-hams - but smart wasn't one of its qualities, so once it began to chase after a new hamster, the others could rest, but only for a few seconds, before the were-ham noticed another potential meal, like a sitting duck. From what they had seen thus far, the ham-hams had deduced that the were-ham's strategy was to simply attack them however it was most convenient, whether it be slashing, biting, or jumping. Also, some of it's movements were sluggish - as a result of it's large, but lithe body.

"Yer the smarty-ham, Dex!" Howdy retorted hotly, waving his apron out in front of the were-ham, like a matador to a bull. "You think of somethin' for us to do! _You_ were the one in the plannin' session all darn day!" The were-ham, drawn by the red pigment of Howdy's apron, charged at him with a primeval snarl, but Howdy managed to roll out of the way just as salivating fangs were about to snap him in two.

"I didn't count on having to deal with a _were-ham _during the planning session, you hillbilly!"

"Well, think of somethin' _now_, four-eyes!"

"Guys!" Panda bellowed, glaring sharply at both of them as the were-ham centered its attention on Sprint, it's claws clanging and clashing against the metal of the knight's sword. "Now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves! We're kind of fighting a mythical beast - "

He was cut off by another slow, mournful howl from the were-ham, head thrown back, standing up on its haunches, and framed against the silvery light of the full moon, as if caught in some kind of lunar trance. It's blood red eyes seemed to glow brighter against the luminescence, and Sprint lowered his sword slightly, also breathing heavily, like the rest of the group, minus the Guardian. Behind the crimson irises and the mind-control steel had, he knew that the real Fury - Screech's girlham, and his hammo - rested somewhere deep within that beast, and he knew that he couldn't hurt her, no matter what she had become. There had to be some way to beat the beast without killing it...

Panda, while the beast had paused, picked up a large piece of rubble and threw it at the were-ham in an attempt to injure it. It struck the nightmarish beast on the cheek, and angered instantly, its attention zeroed in on the carpenter-ham. It roared, and used the back of its paw to swat Panda clean across the courtyard.

"Panda!" His comrades yelled, as he slammed into an ivy-covered wall of the castle. Stars danced in front of his eyes and his head began to throb immediately, limbs like jelly as he struggled to stand, vision blurred. The were-ham snorted in triumph, and prepared to lunge after its prey, but Sprint, Dexter, the Guardian, and Howdy stopped it by yanking roughly on its bushy tail, though they had difficulty holding it back.

"There's no way you're going to eat our friend, you furry neanderthal!" Dexter declared, in a sudden bout of bravery.

"Not while we ham-hams are around, anyway! We'll lasso you like a calf that's gone astray!" Howdy seconded, at last agreeing with his usual rival.

The were-ham growled indignantly and gave its tail a fierce shake, trying to get rid of the unwanted pests. Though they fought to hold on, Dexter and Howdy were flung like dolls into the same wall that Panda had flown into, while Sprint and the Guardian were tossed in the opposite direction. The Guardian, first to recover, jumped on top of the were-ham's back as it prepared to leap toward Dexter, Panda, and Howdy, and bit down hard on the creature's furry neck to keep it from moving. Feeling the pain, the were-ham howled, red eyes bulging, and managed to throw the Guardian off again, and the two were immediately engaged in another stare-down, circling each other like alphas in a wolf pack, fighting for dominance.

After a few moments, Howdy, Dexter, and Panda's heads began to clear themselves, and their minds de-fogged enough for them to see Sprint staggering to his feet, sword in paw and ready to strike, and the Guardian ready to begin another fierce round of scratching and biting. Having no swords or other weapons, they felt incredibly helpless against such an immense foe...they couldn't even get to their feet because their limbs were so wobbly!

"There has to be some way that we can help!" Panda grunted, wincing as the pain began to make itself known, spreading throughout his back and down to his tail. He tried to gain his footing, but fell right back down, still somewhat dazed from being hurled into the wall.

"I'm sure there is...even if we don't have any weapons, there has to be a way we can lend a meaningful paw..." Dexter agreed, nodding as he straightened his bow-tie.

Howdy chuckled dryly. "Well, you hams better start havin' some bright ideas! Time's runnin' short, and if we ain't careful we're gonna wind up as a midnight snack for furry ol' Fury, over there!" Howdy laced his paws through the dark ivy that clung to the wall of the castle, and, grunting with the effort, managed to pull himself to his feet. "Dang, now my paw's stuck in th' ivy..." He tugged on his paw persistently, trying to loose it from the weed.

Dexter rolled his eyes and yanked on Howdy's paw, as if trying to be of some help, though it only made his hamspar yelp in pain. "Listen here Howdy, we don't have time to - " As his eyes fell on the parasitic plant, his eyes lit up with a shining new idea.

"That's it!" Dexter, grinning excitedly, looked from the trail of ivy up to the balcony that Steel had been perched on. "Howdy, I never thought I'd say this, but you're a _genius_!"

"I'm a _heke_? I mean, er, I do what I can..."

"Quick; Panda, Howdy!" Dexter, as he motioned for the two of them to listen carefully, couldn't help the scheming smirk that wound its way onto his face, giving him the appearance of a diabolical mastermind, which filled Panda and Howdy with a wild hope as they leaned closer to listen in on what the bespectacled ham-ham had to say.

"I think I've got the plan we're looking for!"

Sprint couldn't deny that his arms were tired as he took another swing at the were-ham's flank with his gleaming sword, but luckily, this time his sword hit and the were-ham felt the sting in it's hind-leg instantly, letting out an anguished howl. It swung a vicious claw toward Sprint in retaliation, and, though he did manage to jump backwards and avoid most of the impact, the attack still managed to knock him clean off his feet and backwards, so he landed on the ground with a thud and air left him entirely. Gasping for air, Sprint began to feel an abrupt, sharp pain shoot up and down his entire body, and when he looked down he saw that the were-ham's sharp nails had left three long, bleeding scratches across his pure white stomach, staining the fur a vivid red. The cuts weren't deep, but they still caused him a great amount of pain and he winced as he sat up, using his sword to try and regain his footing....

The Guardian stared with wide blue eyes at Sprint's wounds, horror-struck. Siren hadn't so much as looked at Sprint since their fateful conversation at the fountain a few hours before, and now, seeing him bleeding, but determination still sparking in his bright red eyes, she felt her heart, entwined with the Guardian's, begin to beat somewhat faster, and she felt a pull toward him, wanting to help him. She had blanched at the idea of Sprint being the brother of a ham who had succeeded in 'killing' her, but now, seeing him in pain and still trying so hard, the resentment she had begun to feel began to slowly fade, replaced with a muddle of other emotions, akin to the pair's earlier meetings, rather than the one she had fled from. The same confusion over what to feel for a hamster from a place she loathed, who she now knew was related to a hamster she didn't think she could ever forgive...

The were-ham's nostrils flared as it picked up the scent of fresh blood. It drew it's black lips back to show gleaming fangs and a scarlet tongue ran itself along a snarling muzzle. There was a new gleam shining in the predator's eyes....something much more than a desire to kill. Something more like..._hunger_. Slowly, the beast began to walk on all four paws toward it's prey, who was having a great amount of difficulty staggering to his feet, even as he propped himself up with his sword.

Siren watched as the were-ham came nearly nose to nose with a glaring Sprint, it's rank breath ruffling the fur of his face, numerous different thoughts running through her head as she absorbed the scene. Sprint was in severe danger, but her legs were rooted to the spot - immobilizing her.

He was the brother of the ham who had done his very best to make her life miserable, only a few short weeks ago. The brother of a ham she _hated_.

She was supposed to hate _him_, too.

....Wasn't she?

The beast let out another long howl, tinted with triumph, as it stared down at Sprint like a cat would eye a cowering mouse. Claws extended and fangs gleaming in the light of the full moon, the were-ham, red eyes gleeful, leaned forward and prepared to snap its muzzle down around Sprint's neck as the knight valiantly tried to scramble away backwards. Sprint stared into a bright red mouth, full of pointed, pearly-white teeth, and he realized that a gloomy fate was calling out to him, and the pain surging through his stomach prohibited him from moving quick enough to elude the were-ham. He could see the gaping mouth of death, coming closer...he squeezed his eyes shut, not able to face his fate as he could feel a few droplets of saliva taint his fur...

_Slam!_

There was a canine yelp, and the shadow that Sprint had been trapped in was gone as he felt the moonlight on his face. Tentatively, he opened one eye to see that the Guardian had flung it's body full force at the massive were-ham, this sending both creatures hurtling into the wall where Dexter, Panda, and Howdy had been only moments before. Eyes widening in surprise, he watched as the Guardian, azure eyes narrowed with an anger he had never seen (either from Siren or the Guardian itself) before, bit down hard on the right arm of the were-ham, muscles shaking as it tried vainly to pin the were-ham to the wall. The were-ham roared with displeasure, and, using its monstrous strength, the beast reared back and threw the Guardian from its arm. The great, elegant creature landed a few feet away, winded and shaken.

The were-ham, then, decided to take another lunge at Sprint, and the wounded braced himself for more pain, but none came. The Guardian, with a bleeding cut on the side of its face, recovered enough to sink it's already reddened teeth into the were-ham's bushy tail. The monster in turn yelped again, and then whipped it's tail so fiercely that the Guardian was forced to stagger away again. But, despite being shaken off so easily, the smaller beast refused to give in, and, with a fire burning in its brilliant azure eyes that could not be doused by any amount of physical pain, it leapt again for the were-ham, but the larger beast was, by now, enraged and used all of its might to back-paw the Guardian across the courtyard, where it landed with an unpleasant thud. Sprint was completely flabbergasted.

"_Is she....putting herself in more danger, just to protect me?" _

He was snapped back to reality by the were-ham's outraged cries, as it once again tried to attack him, only to have the beaten and bruised Guardian latch onto it's shoulders, teeth once again tearing into the sensitive fur of it's neck. The were-ham, anger reaching it's peak, decided then that it had endured enough torment from the mythical guardian of all hamsterkind, and, sensing an advantageous opportunity, flipped backwards with surprising agility and slammed the Guardian into the ground, the entire weight of the were-ham behind the attack. Sprint's eyes widened in pure horror, as the lithe body of the Guardian vanished completely under the reverse body-slam of the were-ham.

"No!" He shouted, struggling even harder to regain his footing. His breath seemed to stop for a moment in his throat, as he stood, using his sword as a crutch, and waited for the were-ham to get up, so he could see how badly the Guardian had been hurt...

With a triumphant growl, the were-ham leapt up and back on all fours, shaking the dust from it's fur. The Guardian, eyes shut, lay in a small crater that had been formed as a result of the were-ham's horribly powerful attack, white fur stained brown from the dirt and red from flecks of the blood it had shed. The Guardian was perfectly still, wings bent awkwardly and tail flat, tongue lolling out of the side of its mouth. And then, suddenly, a sparkling white light engulfed the creature, and there, laying limply where it had fallen, was the small form of Siren instead, out cold and just as beaten as the Guardian had been.

"Siren!" Sprint yelled, frightened, but she made no reply or movement, and merely lay in the dirt as if she were asleep. Terrified by her lack of movement, the knight lifted his sword and staggered forward, despite the jarring pain in his stomach that heightened with every move. His sword was illuminated by the light of the silver moon, and his crimson eyes burning with building rage - he knew that Fury was his friend, but he directed all of the remaining strength in his body to the paws gripping his sword, intending to do anything he had to in order to avenge his fallen hammo. His muscles screamed in protest, and even the slightest step caused him immense pain, but he charged forward anyway, letting out an infuriated battle cry, putting his all as a valiant Dreamland knight and dedicated behind one final attack.

Unfortunately for him, the were-ham was too strong.

His sword glanced off of the claws of the monster, and it nimbly flipped it's paw so that the sword itself was sent hurtling through the air, landing in the soft grass several feet away - Sprint's last hope diminished into nothing. Sprint only had time to widen his eyes in shock before the other claw sent him flying in the other direction, and everything went black. He landed with a dull thud a foot or so away from Siren, unconscious, body limp and wounds staining the lush grass dark red.

Eying it's victims in triumph, the were-ham let out a victorious snort. Licking it's lips, the beast stalked slowly toward the two defeated hamsters, intending to finish the battle completely, but a taunting voice made it halt dead in its tracks.

"Hey, stupid! Forget about _us_?"

The were-ham's ears pricked forward in surprise. Sniffing the air, it's crimson eyes began to dart to and fro, looking around the courtyard for any possible source of the voice.

"For havin' such a big head, you sure have a _small _brain, harhar!"

The were-ham's lips curled back in anger, and it whipped around with narrowed, threatening eyes, searching for the perpetrators. It took a few cautious steps forward, until it was standing partly under the shadow of the balcony that loomed above it. It raised it's nose to the still air again, and it could smell the scent of more hamsters...but it couldn't see them...

"Okay, fellas! Now!"

"Yeeeeehaw!"

Now that the were-ham had wandered into the proper range, Howdy, Panda, and Dexter jumped from the ledge of the balcony and the were-ham grunted in surprise as it felt three hamsters land on it, and it's knees nearly buckled from the sudden impact. Howdy and Panda had calculated their jumps precisely, so that they would land on the creature's broad, already injured back, and they held onto clumps of it's white fur to keep them tethered. However, Dexter, though he had conceived the plan, had more or less crossed his fingers, shut his eyes tight, and jumped when Panda gave the signal. So, instead of landing on the beast's back, where they had planned, he instead landed on the creature's muzzle...so, when he tentatively opened his eyes to see whether or not the plan had worked, he found himself staring into the enraged crimson eyes of his nightmare.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Despite his past attempts at bravery, Dexter couldn't help but let out a mortified, somewhat-girly yell, eyes wider than dinner plates.

"_Grrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww_!" The were-ham returned, nearly making the grey-furred ham-ham faint on the spot.

The were-ham bucked and kicked wildly, like a bronco, trying to rid itself of the unwanted guests. Panda and Howdy hung tight to the fur on the were-ham's back, occasionally hitting it with their paws, while Dexter merely held onto the creature's snout for dear life. It didn't seem as if they were doing any damage to the furry juggernaut, but they clung, resilient, to their plan.

"Hold onto your tails, hams! This ride is rougher than a mechanical bull!" Howdy warned, voice shaky as he was tossed around like a rag doll.

Panda shut his eyes tight, trying to concentrate on maintaining his grip rather than what would happen if he suddenly let go. If they held on as long as they possibly could, they could tire out the massive beast, then hopefully take it out of the equation, and maybe give the ham-hams more of a chance at winning this fateful battle. However, as each second passed, he could feel his grip on the sleek white fur loosening, and even as he dug his rear claws into he soft flesh of the were-ham's back for a better hold, he knew he couldn't hold out much longer. And, judging from Howdy's grunts of pain to his left, he had a feeling that the others had little stamina left as well. As his muscles drained of all energy, and he pictured the still form of his surrogate sister, Siren, whom he had wanted very badly to protect, Panda felt his grip on the were-ham's fur break. He felt himself slipping away, their plans shattered.

"_I'm sorry, Siren...and I'm sorry, ham-hams..._"

Panda opened his eyes once more to see Howdy had also let go, and Dexter as well, was airborne. He wasn't sure what it was that hit him, a claw, a hind leg, or a tail, but he felt a splitting pain in his back that lasted for only a second before his mind went totally blank, so he didn't feel as his bruised body met the cold earth, nor did he see Dexter and Howdy land not too far away, all of them out cold.

A silence settled over the battlefield.

The were-ham surveyed the damage it had done with sweeping red eyes, a satisfied curl of a smirk on it's black lips. It reared back on it's hind legs, and let out a long, soulful howl of triumph that could have been heard rolling across the forest for miles around. It looked from one defeated ham-ham to another, as if debating which one looked the best to eat, but a stray breeze brought a jarring scent to it's coal black nose. The were-ham sniffed the air repeatedly, trying to decipher the odor, crimson eyes closed. As the scent filled it's nostrils and it was at last able to identify what it was, the twisted snarl on it's muzzle grew even more wicked.

More hamsters. It could smell more hamsters, which translated to only one thing in it's mind.

More hamsters meant more _victims_.

Completely forgetting about the unconscious figures of Siren, Sprint, Howdy, Panda, and Dexter strewn about the torn-up courtyard, the were-ham bounded over to the obliterated doors of Hamaustere Castle. Following the scent, the beast crept on silent paws into the hole that Joy's Staff of Dreams had created, still sniffing periodically, tracking the scent. Once inside the castle, it surveyed the fissure in the floor, caused by Steel's scepter, with confused crimson eyes. The trail split off in two directions at that point - one trail, somewhat fainter, led up the stone staircase across the crevice, while the other trail, a bit stronger, trickled down into the fissure itself.

The were-ham licked it's lips, picked a trail, and was on the hunt again.

* * *

There were no torches in the damp hallway that Maxwell, Sandy, Pashmina, Penelope, Stan, Cappy, and Oxnard found themselves walking in, so it was pitch black, and the only sounds that could be heard were their footsteps on the damp stone floor and the occasional _drip-drip_ of water seeping through the cracks in the ceiling. Maxwell had packed a small flashlight with him in his pack, and was using the solitary beam of light to guide them through the corridor, a lone slice of light in blackness, but the fact that none of them knew what lay ahead and that danger could sneak up on them at any second was highly unnerving. Pashmina and Penelope, frightened of the total darkness, clung to each other like they were each other's last line to life, trying not to show their fear, while Cappy kept both paws on his new hat at all times, trembling slightly. Oxnard's teeth occasionally chattered, until Stan bluntly told him to stop being a scaredy-ham.

"It...it's so dark and cold down here!" Pashmina commented in a whisper, drawing her scarf even tighter around her neck for warmth. "But I guess it is the perfect setting for a dungeon, like in the storybooks we read at the Clubhouse. Let's just hope that there are no dragons hiding somewhere..."

"Ookwee..." Penelope nodded solemnly in agreement, keeping close to Pashmina's side.

"Don't worry, Pashy-baby! I'll protect you from any mean ol' dragon that tries to hurt your pretty face!" Stan sidled up to the scarf wearing ham, flirtatious even in the face of the unknown, but she paid him no notice, as she was too concerned about staring at the path ahead of them, as if expecting danger to pop out at them at any second, to give any attention to Stan's attempts to woo her.

Sandy was even too preoccupied thinking about the possibilities of what lay at the end of this passageway to berate her brother for his flirtations. A chill slithered up her spine, and made the fur on the back of her neck stand on end. She couldn't explain why, but it felt as if something were watching them...or following them. Before, it had felt as if they were completely alone in the passage, following the slightly downhill slope toward what they hoped would be a dungeon containing Princess Hamorette. Now, she felt an ominous chill in the air...like something was stalking them, or waiting for an opportunity to strike. Dismissing it nerves, she swallowed her fear and forged bravely forward, intent on completing their mission without a hitch.

"Dragons?" Oxnard echoed, letting out a worried chuckle and clutching his prized seed to his chest. "Uh, I don't remember anyone saying anything about dragons when I signed up for this..."

"You mean the kind with scales, that breath fire and could turns us into ham-ham toast?" Cappy asked nervously, fidgeting with the rim of his hat. He shuddered. "Kip and Sue read me a book about dragons one time...and it said they do like to hang out in big abandoned castles, guarding their treasure!"

This caused a disgruntled murmur to ripple through the ham-hams, until Maxwell, the solitary voice of wisdom, spoke up, eyes firmly on the beam of light in his paw, "Relax, ham-hams! I highly doubt we'll encounter a dragon down here. The scariest thing we'll probably see is maybe a couple of bugs, and the occasional smattering of mold. Otherwise, there's no reason to be afraid."

Oxnard sniffed, "To be honest, I'd rather face any dragon than that _were-ham_!" He shivered, remembering it's piercing scarlet eyes and the mournful, hellish howl that it had unleashed into the night air. "Did you see it's claws? That thing could tear apart a cheesecake with just one toenail..."

"Tell me about it!" Stan added, though, in a desperate act to impress Pashmina, he also decided to gloat, puffing his chest out to show off more-or-less nonexistent muscles, "Though I have to admit, if I hadn't been so, like...surprised by the were-ham showing up, I bet I could have totally taken it on. I'm pretty sure that thing is all bark and no bite! Man, I wouldn't even be surprised if Siren, Sprint, and the other guys already have it running into the woods with it's tail between it's legs!"

"Well, it did stop howling a few minutes ago..." Maxwell considered, tapping a paw to his chin. "Maybe they were successful...though it did look and seem quite powerful, and based on all of the legends about it - "

"Ow!"

Sandy stopped abruptly, her yell echoing in the chamber. At the sound, the rest of the group stopped in it's tracks, turning around to see what had ruffled her feathers. "Stan, like, watch where you're walking!" She chastised angrily, though she couldn't quite see her twin in the darkness of the tunnel. "You like, stepped on my tail-ribbon! You are sooooo gonna like, get it once we're done fighting Steel!"

"Way to blame me, Sands, when I'm all the way up _here_!" Stan retorted, from somewhere up ahead of Sandy. He clicked his tongue. "Seriously, sis...you can't blame me for everything!"

"Well, like, who did it then?" Sandy asked, her voice going quieter.

"Not me!" Four other voices chimed, all of them sounding from somewhere up ahead of Sandy, with Penelope chiming in with an innocent, "Ookyoo!"

Sandy felt her blood turn cold and all color drained from her cheeks, the fur on the back of her neck standing at attention once again. She faintly heard Pashmina's voice say, concerned, though she sounded much more distant as Sandy felt panic overrun her, "Weren't you the last in line though, Sandy? How could someone have stepped on your tail ribbon if we're all up...here...?"

Mid-sentence, Pashmina seemed to realize what she was saying. And then, as a silence settled in the dark corridor, the ham-hams could hear what sounded like breathing. Heavy, canine breathing...as if something was lurking just behind them in the passageway. Sandy felt the presence of something large very close to her, and her body seized up completely - she dared not make a move. The ham-hams ahead of her were silent, absorbing the situation as numerous possibilities, all of them equally horrific, raced through their heads, and they realized that maybe they did have a little bit more to fear than the implausible possibility of dragons.

"Sandy....?" Stan asked in a small voice.

"Yeah?" Sandy squeaked back, as she heard a faint, almost inaudible growl begin to gurgle somewhere near her left ear, as if coming from some massive chest. She felt her limbs turn to lead, keeping her glued to the spot. All eyes were on her, and whatever mysterious creature was hiding in the shadows behind her like some kind of predator, waiting to strike it's latest victims.

Maxwell, paws trembling, slowly turned the flashlight. It shone past Pashmina, Stan, Cappy, Oxnard, Penelope, and a petrified Sandy...and illuminated the twisted, snarling face and bloodthirsty red eyes of the were-ham. As the imposing light shone in it's face, almost blinding it, the were-ham let it's presence known in the most intimidating way possible, and nearly made the ham-hams jump clean out of their fur.

"_WRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!_"

"Run for your lives, ham-hams!" Maxwell bellowed, tucking his new book safely under an arm, and he took off like a rocket down the hallway, shining his flashlight every which way as he pumped his limbs furiously, running faster than he ever had in his entire un-athletic life.

The others didn't need telling twice. As the were-ham's ferocious howl echoed off the walls all around them, they made a mad dash down the rest of the corridor, plunging into darkness, Maxwell's flashlight shining all around and only making them more confused as they ran like they had a pair of large, snapping teeth right on their tail. Sandy managed to find her strength and began an all-out sprint forward, falling into step beside her twin, who was running on all-fours with a crazed fear in his eyes. For a moment, Sandy thought that the were-ham wasn't following them, until she felt the ground beneath her feet begin to quake as it bounded down the passageway in pursuit of it's latest targets.

"How did it find us?!?!" Pashmina shrieked as a deep growl filled their ears.

"Ookwee!"

"My guess is that it has a very acute sense of smell!" Maxwell theorized in between ragged breaths. "It was probably able to find us very fast, actually!"

"Well, how do we lose it?!" Stan hollered. "I didn't plan on becoming were-ham chow!"

"I don't _know_! It's not like I face deadly, mythical creatures every day!"

"Well, Maxy, nice to know this near-death situation hasn't dampened your _sarcasm_..."

"Guys!" Cappy's clear voice cut through Maxwell and Stan's little tiff, as the tiny ham pattered down the passageway while still clinging to his precious cap. "If the were-ham is here, that means it must have gotten past Siren, Sprint, and the others!"

"Oh no!" Pashmina panted, voice tinted with anguish at the possibility of her hammos being hurt. "That _can't _be good! Oh, what are we going to _do?!"_

Maxwell's mind began to race rapidly, as he scoured every inch of his brain for some kind of plan that could get them out of this situation. But, the way things looked in this dark hallway leading to what seemed like nowhere, Maxwell had a feeling that strategy was more or less useless. This escape plan was hit or miss - they would either come to a door and a way out, or a dead end and what would likely be a very gruesome, unpleasant fate. As he ran, his comrades not far behind, Maxwell held onto a faint glimmer of undying hope that they would find a way out of it, as did the others. They knew, however, that they couldn't run forever...

They heard a horrible, wolfish snarl closer than ever, as if the were-ham were gaining on them...and then the small flashlight in Maxwell's paw struck gold, as, for it split second, it lit up a well-carved, surprisingly beautiful oak door, positioned at the end of the passageway like some kind of special escape route, heaven-sent.

"There's a door!" Maxwell cried in delight, making the hopes of the other ham-hams soar, though his happiness was short lived as the richly-furnished door drew closer and closer in the darkness, occasionally illuminated by Maxwell's flailing flashlight. "Quick, hams! Let's get inside, and fast! The were-ham is fast, but it isn't bright...maybe we can outsmart it!"

"Good thinking, Maxwell!" Oxnard heaved, limbs already slowing, though the grip on his prized seed was unrelenting.

Stan was the first to reach the door, sprinting so fast he nearly ran into it, and, paws trembling, he turned the door knob and threw it open. He hurled himself inside, followed shortly by Maxwell, Sandy, Pashmina, Penelope, Cappy, and lastly, a wheezing Oxnard, who slammed the door shut just as they heard the were-ham's barreling footsteps drawing closer and closer down the corridor, vivid crimson eyes no less than a foot away now. Cappy and Pashmina slid the deadbolt over the door, and Maxwell let out a deep breath. And then, they were separated from the danger by several inches of solid, bolted oak. The ham-hams stood on the other side of the door, panting heavily from exhaustion, relieved that they had eluded the beast for the time being. A slit second after they relaxed, a loud thud could be heard and the entire wall shook, as the were-ham flew head first into the shut door. They heard a whimper of pain, followed shortly by a snarl of anger. Clearly, it didn't like being tricked by creatures so much smaller than itself.

The ham-hams listened carefully for any more sounds from the passageway, but, after a moment, all noise had faded into an eery silence, save for their own deep, heavy breathing as they recovered from their mad dash to safety. They could hear no more of the were-ham, but were still extremely on edge, as if they expected it to melt out of the darkness like a phantom. "Do...do you think it's gone?" Cappy asked hesitantly, peering meekly up at Maxwell, whom he looked to for support as the leader of their group.

Maxwell's expression was somber, as he refused to believe they were totally safe, no matter how it seemed. "I hope so...like I said, the were-ham isn't particularly smart, and tends to use it's brawn far more than it's brain. Perhaps we have managed to outsmart it, and it's given up the chase."

"Well, let's give ourselves a round of applause, then, hams!" Stan cheered, a sly smirk lighting up his face as he recovered from the shock the were-ham had given him, brushing it off as if it were nothing. "We managed to outsmart a beast at least eight times our size! We should give ourselves some paw-fives, simply for being _awesome_..."

"Or, we could try to figure out where we _are_, Stan."

"There you go again, Maxwell...must you always be _such _a fun-killer?"

Maxwell ignored the tiger-striped ham and clicked his flashlight off. Torches hanging on the walls provided them with enough light to see well-enough without any further assistance. The ham-hams looked around with wide eyes, and were surprised at what sight met them - they had expected, on their venture into the castle's lower levels, to find rank, rusted dungeons where prisoners were kept. However, they had found themselves standing in the middle of an exquisitely decorated library. There were shelves upon shelves of volumes of all sizes, ranging from textbooks to classic literature. Every surface was dusted with a faint layer of dust, as if the room hadn't been visited in along time. There had to be thousands of books in the place, or more, judging by the towering bookshelves all lined up neatly, in perfect order, not a page out of place. Maxwell, especially, was in awe. Why keep such a beautiful place of knowledge and leisure hidden so far beneath the castle?

"Wow..." Oxnard murmured, looking around at the books with wide, blinking eyes, toddling forward slightly to get further away from the door, as if the were-ham would burst forth at any second. "Uh...who would have guessed that Steel has time to read in between trying to conquer the world and everything...?"

"Wow! There must be a million books here!" Pashmina sighed, overcome. Penelope uttered an awestruck, "Ookwee!"

Sandy had to chuckle dryly at the irony of her situation. Even when trying to stop a merciless villain, she simply couldn't get away from books, books, _books_. She glanced forlornly over at Maxwell, and was crestfallen as she saw him staring around at the marvelous library, as if he had made the greatest discovery of the century and nothing in his eyes could compare to the wonder of these _books._ He was even still clutching that book he had gotten from the librarian in Dreamland, as if it were the most precious thing in the world to him...

"I never pegged Steel as the type who enjoyed fine literatu - "

_Bang!_

Maxwell was abruptly cut off mid-sentence as the sound of something large throwing itself against the door was heard. The ham-hams jumped in surprise and turned to stare at the door they had escaped through, only to see it practically bulging out from the wall. From the other side, they could hear the unmistakable, feral growl of the were-ham - clearly, it had not given up on trying to make them it's latest victims. "It's back, guys!" Oxnard hissed, shakily.

"I thought you said it used it's muscles instead of it's head!" Pashmina, horrified, turned to the bookworm with wide eyes, Penelope huddling close to her big sister for comfort as she uttered a small, terrified squeak.

"Well, I suppose it still _is_ using it's head..." Maxwell gulped, taking a few steps backwards, his admiration over the library fading in favor of outright fear.

"To break the door down!" Stan rebuked.

There was another loud banging noise, as the were-ham threw it's weight against the door once more. They could hear the hinges groan and grind with the strain, the wood creaking, as if it were ready to give way at any moment. One more good bash, and the door would give way, exposing them to the were-ham of their nightmares. Maxwell motioned for the others to follow him, and he began another mad-dash toward the other end of the massive library, paws nearly slipping on the sleek, dusty marble floor beneath them.

"Run!"

They only got a few pawsteps ahead before there was the sound of a bestial roar and a door being completely ripped of it's hinges. Sandy stared over her shoulder in time to see the were-ham, standing tall on it's hind legs, stoop through the demolished entrance and let another howl resonate in the musty air. It's cold crimson eyes settled on it's scurrying targets, and it began to stalk toward them, drawing out the fun of the chase as it opted to travel on it's hind paws instead of all four, licking it's lips in anticipation.

They reached the other end of the library within seconds, but there was no other door - just a tall, full bookshelf arranged to perfection. The ham-hams skidded to a stop in front of the bookshelf, looking around desperately for some new route of escape, but Sandy a few paces behind because she had turned to gawk at the looming danger, slipped on the smooth floor and her paws came out from under her. She fell hard on her back and hit her head against the floor, making her dazed for a moment and discombobulating her senses.

"Sandy!" Pashmina screamed, though it was only a muddled hum on her ears.

"Sis!" Stan yelled, horrified to see Sandy stranded and helpless.

Sandy groggily tried to sit up, but everything was too hazy for her to make any sense of it. She could feel the floor vibrating beneath her, as if from heavy pawsteps, and as she kept her bleary eyes half-open, she could see two brilliant spots of red in the dimness of her mind, and she could fear a faint buzz, like a growl, and see the pearly, piercing white teeth, growing closer and closer to her...

And then, the fog cleared and she found herself nearly nose to nose with the were-ham. Her taught in her throat, eyes wide, and every muscle in her body became immobilized with fear. It was like staring into the very face of death...and she hated to think that it was the end. So soon, before she had a chance to tell her friends how much they meant to her, and to make up with Maxwell, the most important ham in her heart...She shut her eyes tight, bracing herself for whatever pain was to come from those glistening fangs...

"_ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!_"

The large book struck the were-ham right in the left eye, blinding it for the time being and making it's head jerk back as it placed a paw over the damaged area, howling in agony from the sheer pain. Sandy, startled, opened her eyes wide to see Maxwell's new book laying next to her, where it had fell after injuring the were-ham. She gasped, and sat up to see the bookworm himself, standing out in front of the bookcase like a valiant hero, breathing heavily and his arm still extended in a throwing motion. The were-ham staggered backward several paces, doubling over in pain as it clutched at it's wounded eye, tail between it's legs like an injured puppy.

Sandy stared hard at Maxwell, completely stunned. His normally serene grey eyes were glowing with what looked too be courage, determination...and an overwhelming resolve she had never seen in him before. And, she was also mightily impressed that he had hit his target, as Maxwell threw more like a hamgirl than she did.

"Maxy!" She declared in surprise, in awe of his actions.

The bookworm did not reply, but sprinted forward toward a shaken Sandy. "Are you hurt?" He asked gently, extending a paw toward her, grey eyes achieving a look of the utmost sincerity. He extended a paw toward her, and she accepted it willingly, taking a moment to admire how right it felt to be holding Maxwell's paw again.

"N...no, I'm fine..." She stammered, though she was still somewhat wobbly on her feet as she looked upat Maxwell for the first time in what felt like an eternity, and she was so relieved that she nearly collapsed again. "Thank - "

A roar of indignation cut Sandy off, and she and Maxwell whirled around to see the were-ham, left eye now swollen and bloodshot, giving them a crazed, deadly glare, claws extended and ready to go in for the kill. I had recovered enough from the initial pain to lower itself into an attack stance, ready to pounce and punish those who had wounded it. Maxwell clutched at Sandy's paw tighter, and he yanked her toward the bookshelf where the other ham-hams stood watching the scene unfurl, equally as confounded as Sandy had been. Sandy, as she was dragged away by Maxwell, looked back to see that Maxwell's new book still lay, open and forgotten, on the marble floor. She weakly tugged on his paw, as if to head back for it.

"Maxwell - your book!"

"Forget about the _book_, Sandy!" Maxwell panted, not turning to look at her as he pulled her toward the rest of the group. "All that matters is that you're safe! I'd throw a _thousand _books at the were-ham to protect you! You're the most important thing in the world to me!"

And, despite the chaos of that moment, Sandy, hearing those magical words, felt her heart soar higher than it ever had.

But her joy was short lived, as Maxwell had returned to focusing on the task at paw. Luckily, the were-ham had decided to zero in on said book, which it merely saw as the device that had wounded it's eye. It picked up the book with it's mouth and shredded it, tossing it's head to and fro and scattering bits of saliva-drenched paper all around. When it was satisfied with the destruction of that book, it turned it's attention onto the ham-hams once more, a growl resonating deep inside it's chest. On all fours, it crept steadily forward, eying them with those steely, hungry crimson irises...

"On the count of three, ham-hams!" Maxwell cried, taking control as he whispered his plan to Sandy, who passed it along the line until each of the ham-hams received the message. "Push with all of your might! One..."

The were-ham licked it's chops.

"Two..."

The were ham narrowed it's brilliant eyes.

"Three!"

The bookshelf was as heavy as it's immense size indicated, but, with Oxnard, Stan, and Cappy on one side and Pashmina, Penelope, Maxwell, and Sandy on the other side, pushing with every ounce of strength they had in their tiny bodies, it only took about five seconds for them to get the right angle and leverage. They pushed with every bit of strength their spirits had, and slowly, but surely, the monstrous shelf began to teeter dangerously, the books quaking.

The were-ham, distracted by the shadow the bookshelf cast, looked up just in time, as several other books plummeted from the shelf and struck it in the head like a rain of knowledge. It shook it's head in indignation, and, snarling wickedly, turned back to the ham-hams. The last thing it saw before all of it's senses blacked out were the ham-hams triumphant smirks and Stan giving it a playful wave goodbye, and then the entire bookshelf fell, and the were-ham, taken completely off-guard, was trapped underneath it as it slammed to the ground like a fallen skyscraper. An immense cloud of dust was kicked up as the loud bang echoed within the room, and then, all was silent as the ham-hams waited for the dust to settle.

When it did, they saw the toppled bookshelf, hundreds of discarded books, and no sign of the were-ham.

"We did it!" Cappy cheered, jumping up and down as he reveled in the fact that. "We took out the were-ham, _alright_!"

"It's more than likely just unconscious, Cappy..." Maxwell remarked, glaring at the pile of books and overturned bookshelf that hid the body of their terror. "But I think we took it out of commission for quite some time, at the very least. Great hamteam, hams!"

Sandy, still amazed at what Maxwell had done for her and confessed in the heat of battle, stepped shyly up to him and started, meekly, wanting all of the bad vibes between them to be banished now, "Maxy, I - "

"Hey! Lookie here, ham-hams!"

Stan, however, interrupted her by motioning wildly to what appeared to be a door in the wall that had been hidden behind the massive bookshelf they had toppled onto the were-ham. Intrigued, the rest of the ham-hams scampered forward to inspect it - it obviously led somewhere important, if it had been concealed by the bookshelf. It was another old-fashioned wooden door, intricately carved by paw and looking almost out-of-place. On the other side, they could hear nothing but silence, though under the door they could see flickering torchlight, indicating that there was likely someone inside. And whoever it was had likely heard their defeat of the were-ham, and was either waiting to attack them, or thank them for such actions.

"Nikolai?" Oxnard asked meekly, wondering if perhaps the only Steel cohort they had yet to see waited for them beyond the door.

"Only one way to find out..." Stan remarked, and, taking a deep breath, he turned the knob and pulled the door open.

Their curious eyes were met with more torchlight, this time from just one lone torch, and they found themselves staring into a small, cramped room with a single, rank cell of rusted, iron bars and stone walls. There was yet another door next to the bars of the damp cell, and in the cell was...

"Princess Hamorette!"

* * *

**CFB:** My ability to spell / use grammar correctly has, somehow, mysteriously begun to fade. So I apologize for the multiple improper uses of 'it's.' I've forgotten how to use the possessive...summer does bad things to my brain.

ANYWHO, new poll in the profile that will impact the sequel. Check it out!

**Next time: **The battle continues! I don't want to give too much away!


	17. Little Flurry of Courage

**CFB:** I have a feeling a lot of you are going to be very angry with me at the end of this chapter....feel free to send a PM cussing me out or yelling at me, or asking, "WHY CFB, WHY?!?!?!?!" and yeah....I'm ready for the flames! BRING IT. *_holds up giant, flame-proof shield_*

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro or any of its characters. I own all concepts and characters presented in this story not related to the original Hamtaro franchise.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15:** _Little Flurry of Courage_

"Oh, ham-hams! I can't begin to say how glad I am to see you!"

As she caught sight of her unexpected saviors, crowding around her cell with looks of pure concern on their slightly smudged faces, Princess Hamorette let the first few cerulean tears slip down her cheeks, and the pressure in her heart deflated into relief as she let out a choked sob. The ham-hams, surprised to see the princess in such a bedraggled state, immediately looked upon her with great worry.

"Have you been hurt, Princess?" Pashmina asked worriedly, gripping the bars of the cell with both paws, her brow furrowed. Penelope, jumping up and down at her elbow with a fretful expression on her face, squealed, "Ookwee! Ookwee!"

The princess merely shook her head, overwhelmed that she had been found. "No, no - I'm quite a bit better than I look, actually...I've only been trapped down here about an hour or so. Until then, I was locked in the throne room. This hidden dungeon was made back in the days of the wars, and it, plus the library, are the only rooms that were unharmed when Hamaustere was destroyed...Steel never imagined you'd find me here!" She smiled faintly, but winced as she used the wall behind her to stand up on shaky hind paws.

"He never counted on the ham-hams being on the job!" Cappy crowed. "We can find anything! Treasure, acorns...hamnapped princesses! You name it!"

Oxnard frowned, eying the princess's bedraggled, tousled state with wide eyes. "Are you, uh, sure you're okay, princess?" He asked carefully, fiddling with his lucky seed. "You, uh, don't seem so good..."

Hamorette smiled weakly, still propping herself up with her paws against the cold stone wall. "Just a little shaken, is all...are the others here as well? Have you..." Her jade eyes turned from clouded to imploringly hopeful, as she shifted so that she was gripping the bars of the cage rather than clinging to the wall. "Have you defeated Steel?"

Sandy shook her head sadly, and Hamorette's face fell visibly with disappointment. "We like, got separated from the others about twenty minutes ago. Hamtaro, Bijou, Boss, Screech, and Joy took off after Steel, and we, like, wound up coming down here and finding you!"

"And Fury - or, the were-ham, rather?" Hamorette asked sharply, eyes ghosted with concern, gathering her strength back as her paws stopped trembling so fiercely from fatigue. That was the main reason she had wanted the ham-hams to wait another night before attacking, but she had figured Screech, Sprint, and Joy would be too wrapped up in their plans for fighting Steel to notice the lunar date. She had seen Fury's wolf form unleashed on various different occasions over the years, and knew how horrific she could be when her animalistic instincts took over her subconscious - nothing could get through to her when she became a mindless, killing machine. It was that weakness that had made Hamorette always doubt Fury, and she made sure that Fury's destructive curse remained a secret to all, save those closest to Fury and herself. But now, in the midst of this battle of dreams and nightmares, the secret was out and more terrifying than ever before.

Maxwell's expression darkened considerably as he explained, while Hamorette listened intently, worry playing across every inch of her face, "Sprint, Siren, Dexter, Howdy, and Panda were separated from us at first, and they were facing the were-ham alone. Unfortunately, it began tracking _us_ down shortly after that...so we can only speculate that it managed to...get past them..." He refused to note any of the morbid possibilities that came with the statement, but a shadow flitted across Hamorette's face regardless, as she realized what could have potentially happened to their comrades - she had heard the muffled howls.

"And where is she - I mean, _it _- now?" Hamorette asked, voice strong, but with a faint trace of a tremor. "I...I heard it howling not too far away, just a few moments ago...and a loud crash, just outside the door."

Stan grinned smugly and winked at the bedraggled princess. "Never fear, my lady! That grouchy old puppy dog is laying under about a hundred books right about now! We toppled a huge bookshelf right on its head, and it's not gonna be waking up anytime soon after _that_! Why..." Stan pretended to brush some dust off of his shoulders, as if he had just accomplished something phenomenal. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if the were-ham is more scared of us than we are of it, right about now!"

"Can it, Stan!" Sandy snapped, aggravated by her twin's antics. "Now is like, not the time for you to try and be a show-off!"

Hamorette smiled faintly, jade eyes gleaming with a newfound determination as she felt her heartbeat strengthen as well. "If you were able to take the were-ham out of the fight, even for just a short while, that is an amazing feat! I commend all of you...but I've seen the were-ham in action before. It never stays out of the battle for too long. Therefore, we must act quickly and try and get to the others, to help them against Steel!"

"Good thinking, princess!" Maxwell eyed the lock attached to the cell. "Is there a key to this dungeon, so we can get you out of here?"

Hamorette nodded, and pointed a paw through the bars toward the lone torch flickering on the wall. "Nikolai placed the spare key behind a loose brick under the torch. He thought I was asleep when he hid it, so he doesn't know I saw him stash it back there, and he won't have a clue that I've managed to escape."

"Nikolai?!" Cappy questioned, alarmed, looking around for a trace of the shaggy-furred little hamster, while Oxnard and Stan crossed the room and removed the loose brick under the torch to retrieve the key. "But...where is he? We haven't seen him at all!"

Stan plucked the rusted brass key out from it's hiding spot and tossed it to Maxwell, who caught it with surprising deftness and began to unlock the padlock. Hamorette, in response to Cappy's query, stepped away from the cell door to give Maxwell room and answered, "He was guarding me for a while, but, after a few minutes of hearing the battle going on above ground, he went away to see if Steel needed him to do anything else. I suppose he thought leaving me unguarded was a safe bet, for I doubt he counted on having anyone find me!"

Sandy winked. "Well, he like, underestimated us then!"

The aged, rusted lock gave way with a click, and Maxwell, with the help of a bouncy Cappy, pulled the groaning cell door open to allow Hamorette her freedom. As the monarch stepped free from her imprisonment, she breathed in deeply and her shoulders unclenched, much of her tension relieved in a brief moment of happiness, jade eyes closed to enjoy it. However, it was short-lived and her sharp eyes snapped open almost instantly, as she remarked,

"Now, hams, we must go and find the others! It's going to take a lot of paws to defeat Steel, and whatever other surprises he may have in store for us!"

"Got it, princess!" They chorused in unison, completely understanding the severity of the situation. They had already faced death at the jaws of the were-ham, and felt more confident than ever, after defeating that mammoth beast, that they could topple Steel as well.

Maxwell eyed the door from whence they'd come with hesitation. "I hope there's another way out of here...I'd rather not tempt fate by going back where the were-ham is..."

The princess stepped delicately over to the other door, where Nikolai had made his escape a few minutes earlier, and also the route that she had been taken on to get to the dungeon in the first place. She tugged on the door-knob, and it swung forward without any resistence, revealing a stairwell that would take them to the upper levels much faster than the steady, gradual slope of a hallway that had brought them down. Beaming, the regal turned to her rescuers and said, voice tinkling with a bit of vivacious determination, "Let us go, brave heroes!"

Resolute smiles on their faces, the ham-hams sprinted through the door and climbed steadily up the stairs that would lead them to what could potentially be the most terrifying, difficult, and defining moments of their lives. Leaving any fear that they might have had buried under the books with the were-ham, the ham-hams sprinted onward to face an uncertain fate, eyes glimmering brightly through the darkness.

* * *

The library, as well as the surrounding area, was chillingly silent once the ham-hams and Princess Hamorette departed from the secret dungeon. The shelf they had toppled remained propped up by the immense mound of fallen books, wherein the were-ham still lay, presumably unconscious, like a hidden terror waiting to be unearthed by some unsuspecting passerby. Not a sound could be heard, save for the sharp crackling of the torches on the wall, casting the room in eery, faint orange light.

A single book fell from the toppled pile, landing with a small thump on the floor. The sound echoed, rippling throughout the still library.

Another book fell. Another, like a small avalanche. And then...

"_WWWWRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!_"

There was en explosion of splintered wood and shredded paper as the were-ham burst free of its confinement, claws tearing through the books and cutting jagged chunks out of the fallen shelf, until it was standing on it's hind paws in the middle of a pile of ragged hunks of dusty wood, and assorted book pages, now illegible and completely torn apart from cover to spine. Chest heaving with its heavy breaths, the furious creature, nostrils flared, scanned the room with narrowed, blazing crimson eyes, searching for the ham-hams whom had put it in such a predicament. It licked its lips eagerly, growling deep in its vast chest.

It raised its nose to the air, picked up the scent, and, with a satisfied, vengeful snort, began to run in pursuit of its victims, red eyes flashing with an unyielding desire for blood, specifically of the ham-ham variety, and vengeance on those who dared cross its path.

* * *

Steel proved himself to be a faster runner than any of the ham-hams had anticipated. Chasing him was like chasing smoke - once they caught a glimpse or a whiff, he was gone, nothing but the faint echo of his laugh left in his wake. After several minutes, the fleeting glimpses of his cape whipping around the corners of the castle's winding hallways vanished and the ham-hams pursuing him, breathing heavily, realized that he had eluded them, and hunting him down would be far more difficult than they imagined - especially since he had the advantage of knowing the terrain, whereas it was all new to their confused eyes.

" 'E ees zo fast!" Bijou panted, blue eyes weary, as the group stopped to take a much needed breather, for at least a few moments, before they resumed chasing their enemy. "I am afraid we will never catch 'im!"

"Oh, we'll catch him alright, Bijou!" Boss said, through gritted teeth, eyes blazing. "We'll catch him and make sure he regrets ever putting that nightmare into our heads! I swear, if he twirls his scepter and laughs at us one more time..." He made a fist and punched his open palm, signifying the threat he didn't voice aloud.

Screech looked solemn. "I wish we had a firm idea of what we're going to _do_ once we do find him, however. The element of surprise is gone, now...he's going to know that we're coming for a fight, and he'll have preparation time."

"We're going to kick his tail, that's what we're going to do!" Boss crowed, clearly determined.

Joy and Hamtaro half-smiled at his enthusiasm, but Joy remarked, flipping the Staff of Dreams in her paws, a preoccupied gleam in her eyes. "Regardless, it would be wise to have at least a bit of a strategy - especially against a ham like Steel. I mean, it would be silly just to charge into battle blindly! You ham-hams _must _have had a plan when you took on Spyke at Hamwall, right?" She turned to the ham-hams imploringly, Screech mirroring her actions, his interest also piqued.

Hamtaro, Bijou, and Boss looked at each other, a bit sheepishly, their cheeks tinged pink. "Actually...." Bijou began, fidgeting where she stood, staring at the floor.

"We...kinda..." Boss continued, scratching behind his head.

"...didn't know what we were getting into...." Hamtaro finished, smiling faintly. He even added a little chuckle at the end, as if to ease the tension, but it had zero effect.

An eery silence settled, Joy and Screech staring at the other three with wide eyes and dumbstruck expressions, making Hamtaro, Bijou, and Boss shift uncomfortably under their gazes. They said nothing; just stared at the ham-hams, totally dumbfounded, jaws dropped so low it looked as if they may have come unhinged. "You...you didn't have a _plan_?" Screech spluttered, incredulous. "You went in to face the greatest evil in a century without a _clue _what you were doing?"

"Pretty much!" Boss chortled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I believe we...what ees ze term? We had to....wing eet!" Bijou piped up, smiling gently. "Merely following a 'unch, you could say. Of course, I was 'amnapped at ze time, but everyzing just seemed to 'appen, without a single plan!"

Hamtaro nodded in agreement with his friends, while Screech and Joy looked at each other in alarm. The idea of charging into battle with a deadly foe without at least a tiny bit of strategy was unheard of! Dreamland always spent hours upon hours, or even days, planning attacks when they were called for, making sure they knew what they were doing down to the last minute detail, and how to react if something went wrong. Of course, such planning often went awry...such as when Fury and Joy attacked Steel, only for Joy to wind up wounded, and Fury hamnapped. But they had always thought that planning every little thing was the most efficient way to do things...

All at once, Joy and Screech seemed to realize the same exact thing. "An interesting concept..." Screech mused, tapping a finger to his chin and a wry smile spreading across his face.

"Very interesting!" Joy agreed, unable to prevent her own small grin. "And really, I'll try anything once. After all..." She turned to the other three, who had been watching the pair speculate with attentive eyes. "...it worked for you ham-hams before. It'll be a new experience for us, but maybe 'winging' it is our best option!"

Boss, Hamtaro, and Bijou beamed, pleased that they had been of help with the planning...or, rather, lack thereof. "So...the plan is to _not _plan?" Hamtaro asked for clarification, tilting his head to the side with a bit of confusion in his chocolate eyes. He hated how much thinking hurt his brain, sometimes, and he could feel the ache already building behind his eyes, as it normally did.

Joy nodded. "Exactly! Besides, Steel always seems to know our moves before we make them...if _we _don't even know our moves, maybe we have a better chance against him!" It was an unconventional approach for both she and Screech to attempt, but she was willing to try anything if it meant possible defeating their enemy.

Boss grinned widely, rubbing his paws together in anticipation. "Sounds good to me! Now, how about we pick up the chase again, huh? Steel might be all the way across the castle by now, and we can't just stand around like this forever, dilly-dallying! We've got a bad ham to hunt down!"

"You're right, Boss!" Screech's expression morphed from one of appreciation for their 'strategy' to severe. He turned his bright blue eyes toward the hallway where they had seen Steel depart a few minutes earlier, and drew his sword, holding it tightly by the hilt. Moonlight filtering in from the windows nearby made it gleam sharply, like silver. "Now's the time to take Steel down!"

He ran forward, feet pattering against the stone floor, a look of pure determination on his face. Hamtaro followed suit, his own sword drawn, sprinting to catch up with the knight, and both were far too absorbed in thoughts of the pending battle to notice one of the stones that made up the floor ahead of them had lifted up a small amount, like some kind of trap-door revealing some kind of dark passage beneath, directly in their path. Joy, Bijou, and Boss, however, were more perceptive and caught sight of it almost instantly, but Screech and Hamtaro were charging forward too fast to be warned of the danger. The other three skidded to a stop, but Hamtaro and Screech lurched ahead, oblivious.

"Hamtaro, look out!" Bijou hollered in alarm, just as Joy shrieked, "Screech, you're gonna - !"

_Crash!_

Hamtaro and Screech tripped over the raised stone, offering twin grunts of surprise, and both flew headfirst into the stone wall with the sickening sound of head-meets-rock. They both crumpled to the floor with groans of pain, their swords landing next to them with loud clatters. They set up, bleary-eyed and dizzy, rubbing their wounded heads and trying to make sense of their surroundings. "Wha' was that?" Hamtaro asked, stumbling over his words as he looked around, everything in his vision fuzzy.

"Dunno..." Screech hadn't fared any better, and seemed to be in similar shape, trying to haul himself to his feet, only to fall back down.

Joy, Bijou, and Boss, rather than making sure their friends were alright, were staring with wary eyes at the trick stone in the floor. Joy, unnerved, narrowed her eyes and pointed the Staff of Dreams at the darkness beneath the stone menacingly, but all three gasped when the stone, apparently on hinges, swung upward completely, revealing a large, square opening, and out of the secret passage crawled an extremely ruffled, but faintly-smiling Princess Hamorette, her floaty pink dress torn and dirt-covered, golden ringlets mussed, but jade eyes gleaming as brightly as gemstones.

"My, my - I hope you don't intend to use that against me, Joy."

"Princess?!" Joy exclaimed, half-surprised and half-thrilled to see the regal, her goldenrod ears pricking forward eagerly, hastily retracting the Staff of Dreams. Screech, vision still distorted, muttered groggily, in an attempted echo of the Protector of Slumber, "_Prncss_?" The last hamster they expected to emerge from some kind of secret passageway in the floor was the hamnapped royal, but here she was - tousled and dirt-stained, but alive and well, it seemed.

Hamorette smiled warmly at an ecstatic Bijou, Boss, and Joy, who were still shell-shocked seeing her, as she climbed out of the hole in the floor and . "How very good to see you, hams! Even better, you all look unharmed!"

Joy's expression changed quickly to worry as she took in Hamorette's bedraggled appearance. Concern ghosting her amber eyes, she remarked, voice serious,"I wish I could say the same, my lady. Are you alright? Steel hasn't hurt you, has he?"

Hamorette's eyes clouded over, but she shook her head. "The worst that happened was I was locked in a positively disgusting cell for _hours_. But I assure you, I am completely fine!" She offered them a tight, but sincere smile.

Bijou asked, brow furrowed, " 'Ow did you manage to escape from ze cell, princess?"

"Well, isn't it obvious, Bijou-baby! She had help from the Stan-man, of course!"

The voice alerted all eyes and ears, including a now less-disoriented Hamtaro and Screech, toward the trap-door in the floor, where Stan was now emerging, grinning from ear-to-ear, and pausing for a moment to flex his muscles. "It was a piece of cake, really..." Stan commented, with a show of faux arrogance as he flashed his smile at Bijou and Joy, while Boss merely rolled his eyes. "All it took was a little - _Urgh_!"

Stan was interrupted as a foot swiftly kicked him from behind, and he skidded across the floor on his chin. Sandy trooped out of the trap-door next, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. "Really, Stan...can't you like, take a break from hitting on the hamgirls while we're trying to save the world?" She huffed.

"Sandy!" Bijou exclaimed happily, thrilled to see her friend.

Hamorette smiled warmly, as Maxwell, Cappy, Pashmina, Penelope, and Oxnard also ventured out from the secret trap-door, and, after joyous exclamations over being reunited were exchanged between the two parties, the princess explained, "They found me in the secret dungeon downstairs, and freed me. I don't know what I would have done had they not come along!"

"Maxwell was right! There _were _dungeons down there! But no dragons, thankfully!" Pashmina grinned, while Pnelope jumped up and down beside her, squealing, "Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"It was dark, and kinda scary..." Oxnard admitted with a shudder. "I almost lost my lucky seed!"

The bookworm smiled faintly. "Still, I'm just glad we managed to find you guys! Turns out, there's a network of secret passageways through the walls and floors of the castle, and a whole bunch of trap doors, and we've been wandering around for several minutes...luckily, the princess seemed to know exactly where she was going, and once we heard your pawsteps, we knew exactly where to go!"

Hamorette offered a wry smile. "I used to play in the secret passages as a small ham."

"Maxwell! Cappy! Oxy! Everybody!" Hamtaro said, as he watched his friends file into the hallway, the haze in his head clearing quickly as he and Screech walked over to join the group, picking up their discarded swords on the way. "We're so glad to see you! Is everyone okay? You guys haven't been hurt, have you?"

"We're a-okay!" Cappy replied earnestly, eyes glimmering, bobbing his head in a very enthusiastic nod. "We ran into the were-ham down there, but we toppled a bookshelf on its head and buried it under a huge pile of books, so I don't think we'll be hearing from that overgrown hairball anytime soon!"

"You _took out _the were-ham?" Screech asked, blue eyes both surprised and worried. Regardless of the fact that it was a merciless slayer intent on killing everything in sight, he was concerned for Fury. If morning came, and she was still buried under a mass of books, she would turn back into her hamster form and would be trapped, possibly without oxygen. Joy, sensing his worry and feeling much the same, as Fury was her hamigo, placed a comforting paw on his shoulder.

Hamorette, to ease his mind, remarked, "You know how the were-ham is, Screech...it's probably only temporarily out of commission." The words left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she was glad to see Screech's expression brighten a bit.

Boss's brow furrowed in confusion. "But...we left Sprint, Siren, Howdy, Dexter, and Panda to face the were-ham, didn't we? So...how did it get after you guys?"

A tense, ominous silence fell. Hamtaro felt a shudder slither up his spine. Their jubilant expressions over being reunited were wiped clean off their faces, replaced with looks of absolute worry. Sprint was such a ferocious fighter, and they had seen the Guardian in action before, so they knew of its prowess...and Howdy, Dexter, and Oxnard could be pretty creative when it came to thinking of strategy. They hated to think that the were-ham had gotten past them...but that seemed to be the only explanation as to why it had hunted down the others.

"I...'ope zey are okay..." Bijou said softly, blue eyes scared and chin quivering as she fought off the threat of tears. Hamtaro placed a paw on her shoulder, not quite sure what else he could do to be of any consolation. He hated to think that his friends had been hurt...or worse. He shuddered again, thinking of what may have happened to the others...he wouldn't know whether or not they were alright unless they turned up randomly, like the others...hopefully, with carefree grins, claiming to have outrun the were-ham in some epic race...

All they could do was hope.

Sandy, in an effort to change the mood, pointed out, "Hey, _we _managed to get by the were-ham! Maybe they were too, and like, they're probably somewhere in the castle trying to like, find us, right this moment! They like, might even be fighting Steel as we speak!"

"Steel!" Screech exclaimed, reminded instantly of their purpose. "Speaking of which, we have to go and find him! Now that we're all together, and the princess is safe, he stands much less of a chance against us!"

"Do we have a plan?" Maxwell asked.

"Yeah....to _not _plan!" Boss replied with a jaunty grin.

Maxwell looked as if he had been physically struck with something painful. "No..no _plan_?" He spluttered, shocked at the very idea of running in blindly against a villain as dastardly as Steel, especially with his somewhat supernatural powers. "B-but...we can't just go in there without any idea what we're doing! He'll have us flat-out beat in _seconds_!"

"Don't worry, Max!" Hamtaro commented brightly, holding his sword out in front of him confidently, brown eyes shining with an unparalleled courage. "So long as we've got faith in our hearts, we keep on our toes, and stick together like glue, there's no way we can lose to that crazy ham!"

No, not even Maxwell, one could argue with _that_.

The mood shifted once again from somber to spirited, as the ham-hams all chorused, ready for whatever the night had in store for them in terms of battle, a conviction reflected in their various-shaded, resolute eyes, "Let's go!"

And, united in body and mind, the ham-hams, plus Screech, Joy, and Hamorette, took off in pursuit of their nemesis once again. Hamorette took the role of co-leadership, running in between Screech and Hamtaro, as she was, for some reason, already acquainted with Hamaustere castle, and knew just about every nook and cranny of the hollow, dilapidated estate. She directed them around sharp turns, down long halls, and through secret, hidden rooms, concealed by what seemed to be ordinary stone walls. Everything was a blur of stone, cracked marble, and the occasional broken chair or ripped painting..

Every mind was curious as to how the pink-clad princess knew where she was in the maze of a castle, but it was Joy who voiced the question aloud, piquing everyone's interest as they scampered down an empty, moonlit hallway, "If you'll pardon me, princess...but...how is it that you know where we're going? This castle has been empty and abandoned for years, ever since the royal family was murdered by Hamelot's forces! And how do you know where Steel will be?"

Hamorette offered a mysterious, sorrow-tinged smile over her shoulder, eyes reflecting a flurry of different emotions and swirling memories, buried deep within her tumultuous heart. However, she faced forward as she replied, each of the ham-ham's ears pricked forward attentively,

"Like I said, I used to play here, as a young hamgirl - my dearest friend and I would play hide-and-seek for hours, in our youth. And, regardless of his actions now, I know more about Steel than most hams do, and I know the way he thinks. And there's only one place I can think of that he would be for something like this, and that's - "

She was cut off mid-sentence by a slow, mournful howl, that cut through the night like a knife. The ham-hams stopped dead in their tracks, color draining from their faces as they stood together in the midst of the moonlit hall, huddling closer as the daunting cry rang through the air. The howl finished on one final, wavering note, and doused everything in a tense, fearful silence. Hamtaro's fur bristled, from the base of his spine to the tips of his ears, and he felt his eyes grow wider with anticipation.

"I _thought _you said you buried it under a pile of books?" Boss asked Stan in a low, too scared to be as angry as it could have been, voice.

"We _did_!" Stan squeaked in return, shuddering. Penelope let out a muffled cry and huddled against Pashmina for safety, while the other hams exchanged looks of pure terror.

"Well then, I hope that was Steel, Nikolai, one of us, or the wind because that sounded a _heke _of a lot like - "

"_GRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!_"

At first, that was all they heard, like an ominous, tolling bell, signaling something dismal. And then, there was the sound of heavy footfalls, followed closely by what sounded like a mach truck barreling into a brick wall at full speed. In actuality, it was the large, furry body of the were-ham bursting through the stone wall directly next to them, crazed crimson eyes burning like fire on its ferally snarling face, chest heaving with heavy, angry breaths, pelting the ham-hams with bits of rock and rubble from the wall it had completely obliterated. From the look of pure anger on its face, the ham-hams could tell that it hadn't taken kindly to being trapped under a giant mass of books, plus a bookshelf, and it had come to exact its likely painful revenge.

Naturally, the first thought that registered for each of the hams was, "_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!_"

As for next thought, Boss took the initiative and yelled, "Run for your lives, ham-hams!"

Not even caring what direction they were headed anymore, the ham-hams, Hamorette, Joy, and Screech began a mad dash down the hall, turning around corners and bursting through doors in a vain effort to lose their canine pursuer. It roared and snarled viciously behind them, always just a few inches away from bing able to reach one of them with its snapping, saliva-coated fangs. If the ham-hams stepped into a room, it would break the door down with one swipe of its claws - if they turned a corner, it would follow, undeterred. It was like a bull on a rampage, unable to be stopped by simple things, like walls, stone or otherwise - especially when it had an objective firmly set in mind.

"How did it find us?!" Cappy yelled, echoing Stan's question from earlier that evening.

"It's a _were-ham_!" Joy replied, sprinting as fast as she could. "Once it finds its latest prey, it won't stop until it succeeds in capturing it! Besides, it probably wasn't too happy about having an entire shelf of books dropped on its head!"

"Well, _that's_ comforting!"

"There's no way we're going to be able to take on the were-ham, plus Steel, all at the same time!" Pashmina panted, as she struggled to stay just ahead of the furious creature. "Ookwee!" Penelope agreed fearfully, scampering as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

Oxnard sent a fleeting look over his shoulder, let out a small yelp of horror, and added, "She's right guys! That thing could take us _all_ down, and Steel wouldn't even have to break a sweat!"

"Can't we calm it down somehow?!" Stan asked breathlessly.

"Sure, Stan - if we feed you to it, maybe that will buy us about two more minutes!"

"Glad you think so highly of me, Boss, but if we feed _you _to it then that should buy us about five minutes because you're twice my size!"

"If we're talking about size, we might as well feed him Oxnard - he's the biggest!"

"H-hey!"

"No one's feeding _anybody _to anything!" Sandy panted, running as fast as she could, and, luckily, managing to stay with the front of the pack, beside a heavily panting Maxwell, who looked ready to keel over. "Just like, keep _running_!"

"It'll catch us eventually!" Cappy proclaimed in fear.

Hamtaro, heart thundering in his chest, agreed with them, and hated the fact that he knew that with the were-ham back in the equation, the odds against them were already worse than before. If Sprint, the Guardian, and three of the ham-hams couldn't stop it, and a giant bookshelf falling on its head couldn't stop it, and walls couldn't stop it, then he had a feeling that nothing could be done to remedy the situation. He felt the hero inside of him, tugging at his emotions, telling him not to lose hope in the face of this grave peril, but as he looked over his shoulder at the monstrous beast hunting them hungrily, it became harder and harder not to give in to the lull of defeat...

After a few minutes, Hamtaro realized with a start that Screech wasn't next to him anymore. Alarmed, he skidded to a stop, and the others ran past him, but they slowed down once they saw that he wasn't fleeing for his life with them any longer. "Hamtaro!" Bijou shrieked, dashing up to where he had stopped and tugging impatiently on his arm, blue eyes wide with urgency. "What are you doing? We must keep running, or ze were-ham will capture us!"

Hamtaro did not reply, and kept his eyes focused firmly ahead of him. Bijou stared at him in alarm, and followed his gaze, to see what had caused him to stop running. She too, froze in place, and soon, the others had followed suit, coming to stand with Hamtaro and Bijou, gaping at the sight before them. Hamorette, perhaps the most affected, immediately charged past Hamtaro and yelled at the blue-eyed knight, a note of panic in her voice,

"Screech! What in ham-heaven are you _doing_?"

Screech, sword-drawn and back to the ham-hams, had stopped in the middle of the hallway, facing the mammoth were-ham alone. The beast itself had stopped as well, red eyes curious, but still malicious, apparently intrigued that a single hamster had dared to stand up to it, and was growling deep and low, on all-fours, eying Screech like its potential next meal. Screech stood his ground firmly, cerulean eyes narrowed, as he faced the monster his love had become with a newfound resolve in his eyes.

Voice calm and level, he called to the others, eyes never leaving the were-ham's snarling visage, "I hate to miss out on all the fun against Steel, but I have faith that you guys will be able to handle it on your own._ I'll_ take the were-ham from here!"

The other ham-hams were stunned by his bold proclamation, as they never expected Screech to willingly volunteer to battle Fury, were-ham or not - he had blanched earlier at the idea, and now he was embracing the danger without hesitation. Hamorette was especially stunned, and none too pleased with his decision either. "Screech, that is absurd! You can't take on the were-ham _alone_!" She chastised, jade eyes flashing with both anger and fear, trying to exert her royal authority. "Get back here this _instant_!"

"No!"

Hamorette's eyes widened in surprise, and the ham-hams seemed shocked as well. It was only the second time in history that Screech had defied authority, after all. Stuttering, the princess managed a weak, "Wh...what?" as she took a small step backwards, feeling suddenly very small, and very aware of how it felt as if her heart had stopped.

Screech kept his icy eyes focused on the were-ham, mind made up about what he was about to do, no matter what objections any other ham had. He met the were-ham's blazing crimson eyes with his glacial blue, his sword only a few inches from its flared nose. He knew that beyond the red eyes, claws, and dripping fangs, was Fury, the feisty, but sweet hamgirl he loved, and the very idea of attacking her made his heart feel like lead in his chest - but he also knew, that if there was any minuscule chance of breaking Fury from her moon-induced reverie, he was the ham to do it, despite the fact that it was considered impossible to get a were-ham to 'snap-out-of-it.' And he was also the only trained swordsham...so if all else failed, he was the only one who could protect himself effectively from the were-ham's fury, if he had to battle it until the sun came, and Fury was restored to her normal state.

And, as strange as it sounded, he didn't want anyone fighting the were-ham but him. Somehow, it felt as if it were his duty to do so - and he wasn't going to let anybody stop him, now that his heart had decided.

"I'm sorry, princess...but this is _my_ battle!"

The passionate vehemence in his voice made Hamorette flinch. She immediately opened her mouth to protest, and demand that Screech return to the group, but as she stared at his back, and the gleam of his sword in the moonlight, she realized that no matter what she said or did, he would not change his mind. She had tried her hardest, ever since he had joined her knights and caught her interest, to keep him out of dangerous battles, thus preventing him from getting hurt. And now, as she watched him squaring off against the were-ham hamgirl he had spurned her for, she realized that by keeping Screech by her side, like a bird trapped in a cage, had been...selfish of her.

His heart was telling him what he had to do, and this time, Hamorette, with a small, melancholy smile, would not interfere - it wasn't, and had never been, her place to make Screech's decisions, regardless of the feelings in her heart. She would let the bird spread his wings, and fly, even if it meant that the bird would fly away from her - because he had to follow his heart, and she had to let him.

"Very well, Screech....please...just come out of this battle alive," She pleaded, before stepping back with the group. She noticed Joy's perceptive amber eyes trying to read the emotions playing across her pretend-passive face, but she kept her head high, and tried to keep her mind focused on facing the demon of her past, whom she knew lurked in waiting not too far away...

"Screech..."

Hamtaro stepped forward hesitantly, eyes trained on the growling, glaring were-ham, so he was standing just over the knight's shoulder. The orange-furred ham, his brown eyes gleaming with understanding, placed a gentle paw on Screech's arm, and said, voice low and serious, delivering a message from one hero hopeful to another, "Be careful, Screech."

Though Screech's face never left the were-ham looming in front of him, he managed a sly grin. He, as the ham-ham's paw touched him, could sense the hidden power, lurking deep in Hamtaro's heart, just as he had the day before, at the Chamber of Peaceful Rest - the power of true heroism, and he knew that power was reflected in a fire, burning proud in Hamtaro's chocolate eyes. Maybe, if he managed to save Fury, he would earn a fire like that, too...

"You got it, Hamtaro...now go and beat Steel, alright? I leave it in your paws. I know that there's no ham better suited to take down that villain than you."

Hamtaro's eyes widened, and he retracted his paw from Screech's arm, taking a moment to digest the knight's words. And then, he felt a similar, coy grin wind it's way onto his face, despite the grimness of the situations each were about to face. Hamtaro understood his role, and, as he felt the unknown power awakening, and surging through his veins like fire, he vowed to do anything in order to complete that role.

"I'll do my best, Screech!" He promised, with a solid nod of his head, gripping the sword tighter in his decisive paws.

"Good. Now go! All of you! And show Steel that he has reason to fear us!" Screech barked.

"Be safe, Screech!" Joy called to the knight, concern flashing in her amber eyes, the other ham-hams echoing her sentiments in a steady chorus, worry for the blue-eyed ham evident on their faces. Somehow, they couldn't shake the notion that here, as he was locked in a stare-down with the were-ham, could possibly be the last time they saw him, as he faced the demonic fangs of the nightmarish beast. But they too, could sense his steadfast position and soaring hopes on the matter, and knew that so long as they held high faith in him, they would see him again, without a doubt.

"_Good luck, Screech!_"

And, with a few backwards glances of worry and faith both, the ham-hams took off again, led by a bold Hamtaro and a oddly at-ease Hamorette, in pursuit of Steel, while Screech remained squaring off against his transformed girlham, frigid blue eyes boring into the were-hams blood-red orbs. Soon, the ham-hams had disappeared around a corner, and their pawsteps could be heard rapidly fading away deeper within the castle.

The were-ham pricked its ears forward and flickering its crimson gaze onto the spot where the ham-hams had disappeared. It took a step forward, licking its lips, ready to begin the chase again, but Screech pressed the blunt side of his sword to the were-ham's paw, effectively halting its motion. The were-ham snarled at the Dreamlander, and crimson flashed against cerulean once more, a spark dancing between their gazes. Screech felt his heart give a few pained beats, but he knew he would overcome the pain of fighting Fury if it meant that he would be reunited with her by the end.

"Leave them out of this, Fury..." Screech spoke lowly, trying hard to see the hamgirl behind the moon-crazed red irises of the monster, all of his muscles readying themselves for the biggest battle of his life. "This fight...is between you and _me_."

The were-ham smirked, let out a snort of a chuckle at the expense of the daring ham, and then, with a bestial growl, lunged, jaws and claws outstretched.

* * *

Hamorette continued to guide the ham-hams through the labyrinthian castle, now on the third floor, the snarls of the were-ham and the clanging of Screech's sword left far in the distance - they retained worry for him in their hearts, but kept their minds focused on the task at paw. A haunting feeling lingered in the air as they ran silently and swiftly forward, as well as an unmistakably ominous chill, that made the fur on the backs of their necks stand on end - and each ham-ham knew what that meant. Steel was near, and ready for war. They saw themselves nearing a pair of large, double doors, made of partially rotting wood, unlocked - meaning that someone had likely passed through, and recently. And the only logical choice was...

"Steel is beyond those doors!" Hamorette declared, pointing towards the and Joy and Hamtaro sprinted ahead to open them.

The doors were heavy, and creaked a groaned in protest as Hamtaro and Joy pulled them open, revealing a painted night sky, dotted with thousands of twinkling stars as well as the luminous full moon, all dark clouds banished from sight, and a wide, mid-distance bridge, made of the same material as the castle it was connected to, only a bit cracked, and arched slightly in the middle, leading to another portion of the castle across the way, where it connected to a tall tower with one small window at the top, as well as the second half of Hamaustere.

Had it not been for the chill still clinging to the summer air, the sight would have been truly wondrous to behold, but the beauty of the scene was lost to the ham-hams, as their eyes settled firmly on the hamster standing across from them, on the other side of the bride, his azure eyes and glowing scepter unmistakable, even at a distance, proving Hamorette's theory correct.

"Hello, ham-hams! Nice of you to join me...I've been waiting here for _ages_!" Steel's mock-jovial tone taunted them across the bridge, as he pretended to look at a watch on his wrist.

"Steel!" Hamtaro bellowed, narrowing his eyes in defiance. The other ham-hams glared as well, in hopes of intimidating their foe.

Steel smirked, but once his azure eyes flickered onto Princess Hamorette, standing in between Hamtaro and Boss were her jade eyes focused steadily on him, the grin was wiped clean off his face, and his azure eyes narrowed in distaste. Nose wrinkling with displeasure, the grey-furred ham-ham stamped the end of his scepter on the ground and snarled maliciously, "And how _nice _to see you've been freed, princess...hope you enjoyed your stay down in the dungeons, because you'll be going back very soon."

"It is you who will be locked away when this battle is over, Steel!" Hamorette called back. Her heartbeats were coming in quick succession now, nearly making words impossible, as she felt a flurry of different emotions assault her over seeing her arch nemesis. She held her head high, and tried to feign indifference.

Steel stood up straighter, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at them condescendingly. He was not at all pleased to see Princess Hamorette free from her imprisonment, as he hadn't wanted her present for the showdown between him and her little heroes - because sometimes, she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut and memories sealed away in her mind, and he didn't want her blurting anything out about the past he had chosen to bury away in the deepest confines of his mind. He didn't need that added stress, weighing on his soul...

"And how is it you managed to get free in the first place, _princess_?" He kept his tone civil, but it sounded a bit strained as he asked the question, the last part coming out as a sneer.

"We like, saved her!" Sandy replied, proudly stepping forward.

"Did you now?" Steel snarled, obviously angered by that fact. "And I suppose that's because my idiot little servant Nikolai wasn't doing his job?" His azure eyes burned with rage, as he ranted, off on a tangent, paws balled into tight fists as he cursed at his absent hench-ham. "That moronic little furball can't even follow simple orders! He's utterly _useless _- I don't know why I even keep that little scaredy-ham around!"

Hamorette's heart instantly felt a twang of sympathy for the little tan-furred, green-hatted ham-ham. She recalled his heartfelt, and heart-wrenching words from earlier that day, revealing his motives to her in a rush of sorrow and surprising determination. He had been so _sure _that Steel needed him, and would one day grant his wishes for strength and recognition as payment for Nikolai's service as his hench-ham. He had been so passionate about it, certain that his once far-off dreams were now within his tiny reach...so sure those hollow promises would soon be fulfilled...

"_Master Steel promised me that he would make me just as strong as I've always wanted to be! And if I help him do these things, even if they're horrible, he'll fulfill that promise! And that's......that's why I follow Master Steel. Because by following him, I'm going to become the hamster I've always wanted to be."_

And he refused to acknowledge the possibility that Steel would never repay him. It made her feel like crying, and, as she remembered the little ham's pained expression as he poured out his hearts deepest secrets, she found that she had to choke down a few tears, and she felt a bounding anger toward the villain facing them across the bridge.

"Nikolai has made all of your heinous deeds _possible_, Steel! You took him away from his family, and filled his head with poisonous ideas of power! Calling him useless is a far cry from the truth! Or are you forgetting who really stole the Stone of Slumber?" The royal shouted, unnerved by Steel's outright heartlessness.

The ham-hams exchanged looks of surprise amongst themselves as her words resonated in the air. Was Hamorette actually _defending _her hamnapper? Hamtaro glanced at the princess, and saw a knowing gleam in her eye, and even if he didn't understand her actions, that was enough to assure him that she had a reason for speaking on behalf of the little villain, and he was positive it was a good reason to boot.

Steel, however, merely snorted, unaffected by her defense of his minion, and rolled his glacial eyes. "_Please, _spare me the drivel from your bleeding heart, Hamorette. I could have stolen the Stone of Slumber myself - but why get my paws dirty and waste energy when I have that little nuisance to do it for me? Once I take control of all the hamster kingdoms, and exact my ultimate revenge on those who've defied me, then I will have no further use for that spineless sack of fur! He's always been nothing but a simple, little _tool_."

The ham-hams, who had not been present for Nikolai's revelation of his reasons for following Steel, still couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the little guy. Especially Cappy, Pashmina, Penelope, and Oxnard, who had met Nikolai's family and seen their strife over his traitorous actions, and they knew that he couldn't be _all_ bad, especially given the way he flinched and fretted when Steel spoke to him. He was following a dark-hearted hamster in order to prove himself to his family, but Steel treated him worse than the dirt beneath his paws...

Hamtaro had never really met the little ham, and knew nothing about his motives, even though, when he had seen the little hamster the previous night, he could sense that the little ham wasn't truly as evil as his master. And he knew enough to see that Steel was being wickedly cruel to his minion, and he hated to see anybody hurt or spoken of in such a heartless, harsh way, regardless of whose side they were on. "He's been helping you all along, Steel, only for you to call him useless! You can't even show respect to the ham-hams who are helping you achieve your evil dreams!" Hamtaro felt his paws shake with rage, brown eyes ablaze. "You may think he's weak and spineless, but I'll bet he has a heart a hundred times the size of yours!"

Steel chuckled, unaffected by Hamtaro's moving speech. "Who said I even _had _a heart?" He snapped, azure orbs flashing.

Hamorette felt her anger heighten, and she narrowed her jade eyes - but she also couldn't help but feel an underlying sorrow, slowly, but surely, seeping into her heart, and it made her paws tremble. Stumbling slightly over her words, the princess remarked softly, words barely audible across the bridge, "You...you truly are a fiend, Steel. A heartless, cold..._fiend_."

Steel grinned, his sadistic, twisted grin. His scepter began to crackle with sizzling red energy.

"And don't you forget _it_!"

* * *

Nikolai, after leaving Hamorette unguarded, had gone off to find and hopefully receive new orders from Steel, and had scampered around the hidden passageways in the floors and walls for several minutes, heart beating thunderously with fear, searching for his master. It proved to be a difficult hunt, as, every time he heard pawsteps above him or the tormented howl of the were-ham, whom he knew was prowling around the castle again, he skittered off in the opposite direction, and soon found himself totally lost. Eventually, he found himself in the east tower, at the very top, after crawling through a secret entrance in the stone wall, and, to his relief and disappointment both, there was no one around.

"Cats...how did I wind up here?" He asked himself breathlessly, cursing himself. "Master steel is not going to be too happy with me..."

Looking out the small window of the tower, he could see Steel standing below, on the bridge that connected the east section of the castle to the west, his scepter and the Stone of Slumber glowing in the bright moonlight. Nikolai was surprised - but realized that Steel must have chosen that location for the battle against the knights and the brave heroes. He was about to scamper down to ask for more orders, and hopefully not be reprimanded for leaving the princess unguarded, but before he could he saw, with wide hazel eyes, the ham-hams, with Joy and Princess Hamorette in tow, burst through the west doors, to stand on the other side of the bridge, facing Steel, and looking ready for battle. He almost leapt right out of his hat with shock.

"The princess is with them?!?!?!"

He had only been gone twenty minutes, at the _most_! Was that really enough time for them to save Hamorette, fend of the were-ham, and find Steel? Oh, he was sure going to get it from his master! He had let Princess Hamorette escape, and Steel was definitely going to have his head for this...and maybe his hat, too.

Nikolai began to fret about the possibilities of his sure-to-be-painful punishment, but was snapped back to reality when he heard Steel's enraged voice filter in through the tiny window. Intrigued, the little ham poked his head out to listen to the exchange of heated words on the battlefield.

"_And I suppose that's because my idiot little servant Nikolai wasn't doing his job?...That moronic little furball can't even follow simple orders! He's utterly useless- I don't know why I even keep that little scaredy-ham around!_"

Nikolai felt his heart freeze mid-beat in his chest, hazel eyes wide as they could go. Steel had been cold to him before, and called him various, and often wittily cruel, names over his months serving the tyrant, but...he had never heard steel sound so ruthless before, or so brutally honest - the iron-furred ham meant every hurtful word, that much he could surmise from Steel's harsh tone.

His heart began to beat again, this time, painfully.

"Useless...?" He wheezed softly.

He only half-heard Hamorette, shouting bravely in his defense, as he drifted into a state of stunned hurt, but Steel's next words succeeded in jarring his spirit further, tearing through his hopes without a single shred of mercy or remorse. Ripping apart all of his accumulated dreams, with one savage snarl of the cold, cold truth, and making fresh, clear tears pool in his watery hazel eyes, the grim realization almost too much for his tiny frame to bear.

"Please_, spare me the drivel from your bleeding heart, Hamorette. I could have stolen the Stone of Slumber myself - but why get my paws dirty and waste energy when I have that little nuisance to do it for me? Once I take control of all the hamster kingdoms, and exact my ultimate revenge on those who've defied me, then I will have no further use for that spineless sack of fur! He's always been nothing but a simple, little _tool_._"

Nikolai felt as though he had crashed down onto the unforgiving earth, when he had once been soaring higher than the clouds. Like all he had ever worked for, and worked his tiny paws to the bone for, and all he had endured at the end of Steel's wrath...had been for nothing.

He was just a tool.

A simple, little _tool_.

He had _never _been needed. Never. Only used, to then be forgotten, and never acknowledged.

He couldn't bear to listen anymore.

As the tears coursed down his cheeks, shoulders shaking uncontrollably as he slumped against the wall beneath the window, Nikolai realized with a choked sob that Princess Hamorette had been right.

"_Nikolai...Steel is merely deceiving you. He is a selfish ham and he operates solely for himself. Trust me, Nikolai...Steel is just using you, and he will no sooner grant you strength than kick you out of his domain once he's garnered enough power!_"

How could he not have seen it? Steel had never intended to grant his wishes for recognition and strength. And now, in hindsight, Nikolai mentally cursed himself for being such a fool - following the scheming Steel to try and achieve his greatest desires had been a grave mistake. He had betrayed his family, put himself through torturous insults and punishments, and perhaps lent a paw in the ultimate destruction of the hamster world. When Steel at last gained all of the power he wanted, Nikolai would be left, chasing smoke and broken dreams, with the knowledge that he had helped the greatest villain the hamster world had ever seen.

"_...He's always been nothing but a simple, little _tool_._"

Nikolai cured himself in a ball, tugging the rim of his had down over his weeping eyes. He had set out with Steel in order to prove that he was worth something...that he was capable of doing so much more than just getting in the way. To show that he wasn't a puny little ham-ham, the exact opposite of his tall, brave, and loved older brothers. To prove to everyone who had laughed at him that he was stronger than he looked.

And, ironically, he would come away from this dreadful mistake the weakest of all.

Steel was right...he was just a useless scaredy-ham. And that was all he would ever be.

As he sat there, slumped and bawling his eyes out, feeling as if his heart would collapse within his chest at any given moment, Hamorette's words from earlier that day drifted unexpectedly into his head, her soft voice prompting him from his memory to halt his sobs in favor of hiccups, blurry hazel eyes opening slightly under his brightly colored hat, as their full meaning began to make itself known in his wounded heart, now that he knew she had been speaking the truth all along,

"_Nikolai...regardless of what Steel has promised you, acquiring strength through evil deeds is not honorable_."

He sighed deeply, his heart feeling like it weighed a ton in his tiny, heaving chest. The words echoed gently in his head, and he squeezed his hazel eyes shut again. "I...I know that _now_..." He muttered to himself, a wave of regret and remorse consuming him. "B-but what can I do? I...I can't...I'm not _strong _enough..."

He was about to lapse into sobs again, when a new voice, one unfamiliar to him, wafted to his ears from the bridge below, and his tears came to a gradual stop as he stopped to listen.

"_He's been helping you all along, Steel, only for you to call him useless! You can't even show respect to the ham-hams who are helping you achieve your evil dreams! You may think he's weak and spineless, but I'll bet he has a heart a hundred times the size of yours!_"

Nikolai slowly, on wobbly paws, got to his feet and peered out the window. The brave ham-ham, with the orange fur and the sword in his firm paws, had stepped forward to defend him with passionate, honest words - he, Nikolai, a ham-ham he had never even met, and who had been supporting his arch-nemesis! It was too much for Nikolai to believe! Was that heroic-looking hamster really _defending _him? After all that he had done?! He stared down at the scene below in awe, as the orange-furred ham-ham's words began to play over and over in his head, the tears in his hazel eyes vanishing, and the strength slowly spreading back to his limbs, and even extending to his bitterly wounded heart.

"_You may think he's weak and spineless, but I'll bet he has a heart a hundred times the size of yours!_"

And, as the words resonated in his mind, everything at last seemed to make sense.

Nikolai felt his heart begin to thunder with a newfound sense of courage, one the likes of which he had never felt before, and he stared down at Steel, his master - or, rather, ex-master - with narrowed hazel eyes. He no longer could feel fear, staring down at the iron-furred hamster with the dangerous scepter in his paws - he felt only an overwhelming sense of anger, and a desire for retribution. He had been made a fool of...and he was going to show Steel that he was much, much more than a weak little scaredy-ham.

Now, it was all clear. Nikolai knew what he had to do.

Wiping the remnants of sorrow from his eyes, Nikolai hastily adjusted his hat, and hopped nimbly up onto the windowsill. The tower was cracked and marred enough that there were several suitable paw-holds trailing themselves downward toward the bottom of the bridge, where Steel stood defiantly, looking ready for an all-out war. Nikolai drew in a deep breath, tried not to turn back to his frightened ways, and began to slowly, and carefully, shimmy down the wall of the tower, a vibrant spot of tan and green against dull, lifeless grey.

He looked down toward his destination, and gulped, feeling his heart skip a beat. It was an awfully long fall, and he still had a good bit to go...

And then, he remembered more of Hamorette's gentle words to him, and he found the motivation to narrow his hazel eyes, turn and face the crumbling tower he was clinging to, and keep solidly focused on what he was about to do, as he crept slowly, but surely toward his destiny,

"_...Your family is worried for you, Nikolai..._"

* * *

Steel eyed his opponents with amusement dancing in his cold eyes. He remarked idly, flipping his glowing scepter from paw-to-paw, as if he hadn't a care in the world, "Now, I believe it's time to cut this conversation short. As fun as it is, I think it's time we got down to _business_!" As the last world left his mouth in a bestial snarl, he got into what appeared to be an attack stance, scepter held tightly in his paw. With a smirk, he asked, keeping his voice light, with an underlying sense of frigid darkness,

"Who wants to go first?"

Hamtaro, his anger and resolve building up so much he could barely contain his urge to fight the iron-furred devil. Screech had left the task in his paws, and he wanted to prove that the knight had made the right move in trusting him, and show Steel that his evil ways _did,_ contrary to his belief, have repercussions. The orange-furred hero made a move to step forward, the hero within him almost fully-awake and ready to guide his sword, so he could defend his hammos and hopefully end Steel's tyranny, but Joy stopped him by stepping forward first, and placing her Staff of Dreams out in front of him, blacking his path.

"Joy?" He asked, surprised.

She didn't look at him, but kept her normally cheerful face forward, staring hard at Steel. "I've been witness to Steel's horrid actions for months now, Hamtaro...and, if you don't mind, I'd like to take him on first. _Alone_."

Hamtaro, seeing the determination in her amber eyes, backed off, despite the fact that he was wary about letting her fight the villain by herself. He had taken out an entire legion of knights before...but he could tell that, much like Screech wanting to fight the were-ham, Joy would not back down on her stance over the matter - and her past with Steel ran deeper than his as well. With a small, clipped nod, Hamtaro stepped back, though he kept his guard up, in case he needed to jump in and lend a paw to help the Protector of Slumber.

Princess Hamorette, face solemn, stepped up to place an encouraging paw on Joy's shoulder. "I wish you luck, Joy. Be careful! Remember - you have backup if you need it!" As a gesture of faith, she fixed Joy's carnation-colored bandana, which had become loose.

Joy nodded curtly, and then, her head held high, began to walk slowly toward the center of the bridge, under the watchful, condescending gaze of Steel.

Seeing that the golden-rod furred ham was alone, Pashmina asked worriedly, wringing her paws, "Is she going to be okay by herself? I don't want her to get hurt!"

Stan, sensing her genuine concern, trotted up to stand beside the scarf-wearing hamgirl, slinging an arm over her shoulder, in an effort of genuine consolation as opposed to strictly flirtation. His voice, softer and less jovial, seemed to make a bit of Pashmina's tension fade as she looked at him, trembling slightly with fear as he soothed, "Ah, she'll be _fine_, Pashy-baby! Joy-sweetie knows what she's doing! She wouldn't go out there alone if she couldn't handle it!"

Sandy eyed her brother out of the corner of his eye, but, as she saw Pashmina offer her twin a meek smile, she felt it best, this time, to not intervene. He seemed to have abandoned his flirtatious tendencies in favor of being actual help, and she didn't dare ruin the moment.

"You really think so, Stan?" Pashmina asked hopefully, as Penelope slid herself under Stan's other arm, chipping in with a small, "Ookwee?"

"Sure! We just gotta believe in her, and be her moral support from the sidelines while she takes on that bad ham!" Stan replied earnestly, beaming from ear-to-ear, and Pashmina couldn't help but offer a small, watery smile back, her spirits raised somewhat. She didn't even shrug off the arm that he kept firmly around her shoulders, and neither did Penelope, who also seemed visibly cheered.

"I hope you're right, Stan! And I _will _believe in her!"

"Ookwee!"

"That's the spirit! Now, let's root her on!"

"C'mon, Joy!" Cappy yelled out, jumping up and down from his spot in-between Oxnard and Maxwell, eyes algeam with a mix of excitement and fear for their hammo. "You can do it!"

"Be on your guard, and don't let him get the upper-paw!" Maxwell warned.

Their encouraging words from the sidelines were a comforting buzz in Joy's ears, but soon faded completely from her ears as she reached the center of the bridge, where she stood her ground firmly eyes locked with Steel's. The Staff of Dreams in her paws began to spark with bubble-gum pink energy, reflected like pink lighning in her narrowed, determined gaze. Steel, seeing her challenging expression, let out a deep, laugh.

"Well, well, well....my first victim is _you_, Joy?" He asked in his mock-airy tone.

"I believe you've mixed up the word vict_im_ with vict_or_, Steel!" Joy rebutted.

From the sidelines, Stan could be heard yelling, "Oh, _snap_!" but neither Steel nor Joy payed it any heed; they kept their eyes trained on each other, animosity sparking between their gazes almost tangibly.

"You look at me with such _hatred _in your eyes, Joy!" Steel commented flippantly, an amused smirk breaking out across his face as his own scepter sparked and radiated with corruption. "I'd like to know what I've done to you to deserve such hostility!" He narrowed his frigid azure eyes, knowing how badly his taunting words were wreaking havoc on Joy's fragile nerves. She had always been the predictable one...

That appeared to be the last straw for Joy. Her paws began to shake with rage, teeth gritted so hard she could almost taste blood in her mouth, and she channeled all of the rage bubbling up to the surface into the staff held firmly in her paws. In answer to his question, she bellowed, spilling her raging emotions out for all to see and hear,

"You've corrupted my best friend, you hamnapped someone I care about, and you've tainted the minds of hamsters everywhere with your horrendous nightmares!" Joy growled, not unlike the were-ham, pointing the Staff of Dreams menacingly toward a smirking Steel with her amber eyes yearning the fight that was sure to follow. The staff crackled and sizzled with powerful energy, building more and more with each second. "You _will _be stopped!"

Steel chortled. "Really, Joy...I'm beginning to feel that you're all talk, and no action. If you're honestly serious about, ahem...'_bringing and end to my tyranny_,' or some other nonsense like that, then why don't you shut your mouth and _show_ me? Hmmmmm?" Smirk spreading wider across his face, the grey-furred menace lowered his scepter, an act mirroring Joy's.

Animosity seemed to spark between their gazes, fur bristling. And then, with a savage battle cry, Joy lunged forward, Staff of Dreams glowing bright magenta. She thrust the staff forward, and a beam of the pink energy shot forward, hurtling toward Steel. Steel merely grinned, and danced nimbly out of the way - the attack struck the arched doorway behind him, sending a cascade of broken rock to block the only way that he could escape, save for climbing the castle wall and climbing in the tower window several feet above. However, Steel didn't even seem fazed that he was now trapped in a face-off with his enemies - in fact, the smile on his face seemed to show that he liked that fact a good deal.

"You'll wish you never faced me, Steel!" Joy hissed, sounding far angrier than the others had ever heard her. She shot several tiny, laser-like beams of bubble-gum energy at her foe, but he deftly avoided each in succession, and they careened off into the black of night instead of hitting their desired target.

"I believe you are mistaken, Joy..._you _are the one who will leave this battle with regrets!" Steel snickered, as he fired another attack. It hit the ground in front of Joy as she jumped in the air to dodge, and scorched the cold stone black.

"In your dreams!" Joy spat back, amber eyes burning.

The other hamsters watched the battle between Steel and Joy with wide eyes. Beams of pink and red shot across the battle-zone like bolts of brilliant lightning, sometimes striking the castle and causing a few chunks of rock to rain down, others rocketing off into the night, like crackling, shooting stars against velvet black. In a strange way, it was like watching a dance; a terrible, yet beautiful tango between two fearsome rivals, as they twisted, turned, and leapt away from each incoming attack as graceful as swans, yet with a deadly undertones - whoever made the first misstep would lose, perhaps a bit more than just a battle.

Watching made Hamtaro uneasy. "Should we...help her?" He asked a stonily entranced Princess Hamorette, glancing at his sword with a bit of confusion, then flickering his gaze toward the duel between Steel and Joy. He felt useless just standing in the background - he felt like he needed to assist Joy, lend a paw in any way possible. After all, this was a fight that all of the ham-hams were dedicated to...

Hamorette smiled wryly, though Hamtaro detected a gleam of worry in her eye. "Joy is a strong ham-ham, Hamtaro. And, perhaps more importantly, she wields the Staff of Dreams, which is a weapon that attacks similarly to Steel's scepter - whereas a sword is more suited for paw-to-paw combat, and Steel is too far away for that. In other words...she's our best bet. And I don't want any of you getting hurt in the crossfire, so staying on the sidelines is the safest thing to do, I think. At least, it is at this point."

Hamtaro grimaced slightly, but Boss vocalized his displeasure, crossing his arms over his chest, "No offense princess, but we _all _came here to fight Steel. And we all want a chance to get at 'em!" He growled.

The princess shot him a sideways look, having taken control of the situation. "I understand your vehemence on the matter, Boss, but this fight with Steel is a very fragile situation. One wrong move, and everything comes to an end - and likely a devastating one, at that. But, if there comes a point where Joy looks as if she can't handle it alone any longer, then I will give the order for you to lend a paw. But, until that point, Joy shall fight alone!" Her voice rang with finality as she turned back to Joy's fight, and Boss, grumbling with distaste, slunk away, grumbling about missing his golden opportunity.

Hamtaro, regardless of Hamorette's words, was not appeased. He watched as Joy danced and dodged each attack from Steel, some of his attacks landing dangerously near the ham-hams, and he knew she was a skilled fighter, but still felt like it was his place to give her aid, somehow...

"Now zat I zink about eet, why doesn't Steel just try and put us to sleep again?" Bijou piped up from Hamtaro's other side, her brow furrowed in thought. "Eet worked for 'im before, but 'e 'asn't even tried it yet! Wouldn't zat be ze easiest way to 'urt us?"

Hamorette's eyes widened slightly, though her eyes remained transfixed on the battlefield. She hadn't even thought of that...why _didn't _Steel just put them all to sleep, and end it that way? It would be the easiest path...then again, Steel had never been known for doing things because they were easy, he did things so that he would leave an impact...

Maxwell managed to put the puzzle together in his mind, and it made the fur on the back of his neck stand at attention. Eyes clouded with thought, he speculated aloud, voice grim and face solemn, "Perhaps Steel is looking for a way to end this battle with more _permanence_. Putting us to sleep only delays things. Steel isn't trying for a temporary solution, he's trying to do something that will last. Ultimate defeat, with no chance of retaliation - no chance we'll stand up to him again."

His words hung in the air like a dark, looming cloud. Sandy clung to his paw, understanding what he meant as a look of fear sprang into her eyes, and he gave her quivering paw a reassuring squeeze, though he kept his eyes trained on the dueling hamsters in front of him.

"What's...what's more permanent than _sleep_?" Oxnard asked, his voice small, showing that he already knew the answer, but was afraid to realize it.

The silence was deafening, and full of unwanted tension.

"Hopefully, Oxy, we won't have to find out!" Was Boss's simple reply, as he, too, kept his focus strictly on the battle, the other ham-hams following his example as they tried not to focus on that frightening, and all-too-real possible outcome, a haunted look lingering in their eyes...

"You can't dodge forever, Steel!" Joy hollered, baring her teeth at him across the battlefield. She couldn't deny that her paws had begun to ache, and her breath was coming in much shorter, more ragged breaths. It was tiresome fighting such a formidable adversary, and she hated that she was beginning to feel the wear and tear of the battle, her limbs staring to feel like lead, and her heart threatening to burst from her chest...

Steel chuckled, as he swiftly eluded yet another attack from Joy's Staff of Dreams. "I don't have to dodge forever, Joy - I just have to dodge until _you_ get tired!" While Joy had, in fact, begun to tire, Steel seemed as strong as ever - unaffected by all of the dodging he had done, as if he hadn't even made any effort at all.

Joy, frustration radiating off of her in waves, let out another battle cry and hurtled another burst of bright pink energy at her foe. Steel retaliated with an attack of his own, and Joy had to throw herself on the ground and roll out of the way to avoid being hit. The energy beam grazed the tips of her ears, singing the fur there, and then continued to rocket toward the ham-hams. Joy, realizing the situation as soon as the attack shot past her, cried, "Look out!!!!"

Hamtaro, also, realized the peril and yelled, "Get down!"

He grabbed Bijou's paw reflexively and flung himself, as well as the hamgirl, down against the stone, his jaw striking the bridge painfully. The other ham-ham's heeded his words, and threw themselves down as well, squeezing their eyes shut and clamping their paws down over their ears. They were pelted with a few chunks of stone and rotting wood, and their could hear a muffled '_boom_!' but only when they opened their eyes and saw their damage did their blood run cold. Steel's attack, much like Joy's earlier, had struck the arched doorway that served as their only escape, and it was now reduced to a pile of charred wood and rock, blocking their only possible safe haven.

Once figuring the coast was clear, the ham-hams shakily got to their feet, surveying the damage with worry and fear. Now that they had no means of evasion, should they need to flee, the situation seemed even more dangerous, were it possible. "What are we gonna do now?!" Cappy fretted, turning to Boss with wide brown eyes. "We're trapped!"

"We'll just have to like, beat Steel once and for all, then!" Sandy remarked defiantly, refusing to let hopelessness get to her.

"That's the spirit, Sands!" Stan hooted in support, arms still around a frightened Pashmina and Penelope, who seemed to be comforted further by his enthusiasm, inciting Pashmina to yell out in encouragement to Joy, "We've got your back, Joy! Show that evil ham that he should have never messed with us!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope puffed out her chest, trying to appear fearless.

"You can do it, Joy!" Hamtaro and Bijou yelled in unison, eyes glimmering with hope. Though they had already gotten to their feet, recovered from the close-call, their paws remained linked.

Joy heard their words of encouragement, but felt her own spirits sagging. She had never been particularly good at fighting by herself - she normally hamteamed with Fury, and they split the workload - and could feel that her energy was severely depleted, while Steel, his eyes glittering wickedly, seemed completely unfazed thus far. He hadn't even broken a sweat, it seemed, like fighting Joy was simply a way to pass the time. Even summoning the energy to pump into the Staff of dreams was becoming a tedious chore, and she could feel herself growing weaker with every step, and she felt her eyelids want to close, her body screaming at her to shut down...she leaned against the side of the bridge, fending off exhaustion, trying hard to show she wasn't affected...

Steel sensed her fatigue, and grinned. Now was the perfect opportunity to end it. Joy would rue her insolence, and regret the day she dared cross his path.

"Here you go, _Joy_!" He sneered, as the scepter in his paws continued to glow menacingly, lighting his azure eyes up with a fierce look of immorality. As he spoke, his fake-nonchalance faded into an outright, vicious snarl, "You look like you could use a break...here, let me lend you a _paw_!"

He fired. And fired, and fired, and fired...

Joy watched the red beams of energy rocketing toward her, and willed her feet to move. She managed to dodge the first strike, and they came at her in a perfect line, one after another in rapid succession. She dashed clean across the bridge, the heat of each attack biting at her heels as she ran, focusing only on staying ahead of the next attack, amber eyes narrowed in strict concentration, and only when she reached the other side did she realize her fatal mistake, as she gasped and stared down into a pitch back abyss over the side of the bridge.

She was trapped. There was nowhere left to run. Time, in that instant, seemed to slow, and she turned her head to see the brilliant crimson heading straight toward her with wide, horror-struck amber eyes, the red beam looking for all the world like a snake about to take the first venemous bite of its prey...

"_No...it can't end this way!_"

"Joy!" Pashmina screamed, eyes wide, hiding her face in Stan's neck while the tiger-striped ham watched in horror.

"No!" Hamtaro yelled, reaching out a futile paw, though she was much too far from anyham to be saved.

The golden-furred ham didn't have time to utter more than a grunt of pain or even widen her amber eyes as the attack struck her head on, and she was hurtled over the side of the bridge from the impact. The ham-hams watched as she disappeared, plummeting toward the ground and vanishing into the shadows beneath their feet. The Staff of Dreams, having been flung from her paw when Steel's attack struck, clattered against the stone as it landed smack dab in the center of the bridge, slightly charred. A daunting, grim silence engulfed the ham-hams, as they stared with jaws agape at where Joy had fallen over the edge. They half-expected her to climb back up, a huge grin on her face, like she had been playing some kind of practical joke, but she didn't appear.

There was no scream, growing fainter as she fell, and no sickening thud against the ground below. She was simply...gone.

Princess Hamorette's paws flew to her face in horror as she watched her friend and protector disappear over and over in her mind, a flash of gold and pink against the black sky and then nothing, fresh tears springing into her already red-rimmed jade eyes. "Joy..." She breathed, hardly able to believe that the lively, vibrant Protector of Slumber had been struck down. "No...not Joy...."

The ham-hams continued to stare at the spot where Joy had been standing last, but soon, the reality set in like a cold wave, pulling them under, nearly suffocating them. Joy...was _gone_.

Steel's horrid laughter broke the ham-hams from their horror-struck reverie. Hamtaro, narrowing his outraged brown eyes, turned to glare hard at Steel, who continued to laugh like a madham, azure eyes agleam with some kind of twisted happiness at seeing Joy taken out of the battle. "She _was _always the meddlesome one..." Steel commented airily, almost as if he were talking about the weather and not the ham-hams' fallen comrade. "...but I suppose I like her better this way. You know..._gone_!" He chuckled again, pleased with his own cleverness.

Hamtaro felt his blood begin to boil. How could Steel commit these deeds with no remorse?!

"Steel!" Hamtaro bellowed, trying to quell the surging emotions that began to erupt within his chest, from sorrow to determination to intense dislike. He pointed the tip of his sword toward his enemy, paws shaking with pent-up rage and brown eyes sparking with a yearn to fight. "You'll pay for that! Joy was a good hamster, and a good friend! She didn't deserve to...to..."

"Die?" Steel asked darkly, azure eyes flashing, and Hamtaro tightened the grip on his sword, a painful lurch giving way in his heart. Steel let out another chuckle, and then spat, putting a venomous emphasis on each word, "I beg to differ, little _hero_. She got the fate that she deserved, for defending a place as traitorous as Dreamland and daring to stand against me! And you will _all_ meet the same fate! Every...last..._one_...of you!"

The Stone of Slumber instantly began to gleam once more, a blood-colored red, and the ham-hams realized that Steel had, once again, turned into the merciless, heartless force he had been when sword-fighting Sprint after crashing the banquet the night before. His taunts had become edged with an unrivaled vehemence, his voice deep and snarling, tearing apart their attempts of determination, and his eyes became more menacing, piercing any hopes the ham-hams had accumulated. Hamtaro watched, his spirit faltering slightly, as Steel's scepter continued to absorb more power, so even the ends of Steel's iron-grey fur seemed to crackle with the crimson energy.

"_Nobody _defies Steel and gets away with it! Especially not pathetic, pitiful little _heroes_!"

The crimson light from Steel's scepter began to crackle and fizzle like hellfire, reflected in his electric azure eyes. A large ball of brilliant red energy began to form around the Stone of Slumber, and, with dauntingly slow motions, the villain, smirk spreading quickly across his iron-grey face, directed his scepter toward the congregated ham-hams, who stared with terrified eyes back at their nemesis. There was no form of escape. Joy was gone, and the Staff of Dreams lay forlornly on the center of the bridge and out of reach, a lone, fading sign of hope against threatening darkness. They could do nothing against Steel's power without it.

"I think it's time I put you hams to sleep...." Steel sneered, donning a vicious snarl as the energy around his scepter crackled and hissed. "..._Permanently_."

He raised his scepter, ready to unleash it's power upon the helpless ham-hams, as it gathered still more power. "Brace yourselves, hams!" Boss remarked gravely, brown eyes shining with some semblance of faith, but chills still ran up and down their spines as they prepared themselves for Steel's brutality, the crimson glow from the scepter engulfing them in the pooling light, as if marking them as targets.

Hamtaro felt as if his mind went numb. This....was _it._ He raised his sword, though he knew it was useless against such an enemy - Steel had more power in his paws than he ever had before, and a few pointy sticks weren't going to do anything to stop him now. With his own resilient brown, Hamtaro stared hard at Steel's frigid eyes, and he saw nothing in their swirling azure depths other than pure, malicious hatred and vehemence...and a trace of turmoil that nearly went undetected, though it was blatantly overshadowed by burning anger and a desire for dominance. Hamtaro's stomach fell, as he realized that his last sight might have been the eyes of a murderous ham, rather than a different pair of deep, beautiful blue eyes he had found he quite liked looking into...

....and he never would, again. And that made his heart stop for a moment, as it leapt into his throat and made all possible words, any potential last words of heroism, die on his tongue. He would never see Laura again, either...she would never know what happened to her beloved pet.

Steel's manic laughter echoed across the bridge to their ears, a taunting, bone-chilling reminder of their pending fates, as the ham-hams huddled even closer together to face whatever Steel's attack would do to them, trying hard to stay strong against such disastrous odds. The snarl on Steel's face deepened into a sharp, malicious, twisted look of absolute hatred and corruption, tinged with a kind of maniacal glee that made Hamorette's heart, as she stood amidst her protectors, feel hollow, and betrayed by the futile hope she had held for the villain.

"Say _goodnight_, ham-hams!"

The ham-hams braced themselves and shut their eyes tight, waiting for everything to go black.

Steel's arm, and the scepter, swung toward them.

Everything, for a tense moment, was still.

And then, "_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!_"

Steel's cry of anguish mixed with outrage were drowned out by a loud explosion, and the ham-hams opened their startled eyes to see that Steel's immense attack had struck a far rampart of the castle instead, as it had been deflected, and now a shower of rubble and marble was plummeting to the dark earth below. The ham-hams then cast their eyes to the villainous ham himself, and saw that his face was contorted with an unparalleled rage, azure eyes narrowed furiously and face twisted into a vicious snarl. His arm had been crudely shoved to the side, thus sending the attack in the other direction. And the catalyst of the deflection had been...

"_Nikolai_!" Steel hissed darkly at the interfering hench-ham, who still had his meek paws pushing against Steel's arm. Despite his obvious outrage at being thwarted, there also seemed to be a glimmer of shock in his infuriated azure irises - he had likely not expected to be thwarted by his own minion, and one he had considered spineless to top it off. "What do you think you're _doing_?!"

Nikolai, hazel eyes brimming with a newfound confidence, turned to stare defiantly at Steel, arms quivering as he continued to hold off his former master. No one had noticed the little ham climbing down the tower, and all eyes were stunned to see him there, standing his ground against the much-bigger Steel. Wheezy voice rising and resonating across the bridge to the equally as stunned ham-hams, the tiny little hamster replied,

"I'm...I'm doing the _right _thing!"

The ham-hams, including a delighted and stunned Hamorette, exchanged looks of incredulity. Was...was the little tan-furred hamster actually sticking up for himself?

"_What_?!" Steel seethed in angry disbelief, thrusting his arm forward powerfully and knocking poor little Nikolai forward onto his tail, though the green-hatted hamster bounced right to his feet after, still staring proudly at the object of his fear, not backing down. "You are messing up my plans, Nikolai! Everything_ I_ have worked so hard for! There had _better _be a good explanation for this!"

"There is!" Nikolai squeaked bravely, holding his ground, even though he began to quiver slightly under the intense gaze of Steel.

He had watched Steel's malevolent actions since he had sided with the tyrannical ham months before - but hearing Steel's cruel words toward him, and watching Joy fall to her likely demise as a result of Steel's unending hostility and twisted desire for vengeance had awakened something in the little ham-ham's heart. He had never seen Steel do anything so purely evil before, and it was all the more reason for him to act, and set his past right. The hope he had held in his master giving him power and recognition had faded into horror at what Nikolai had been allowing himself to become. He had been following a murderer; a heartless creature with no remorse for his wicked deeds. He had been lending a paw in destruction that he no longer wanted anything to do with.

Steel had never needed him...he had only used, abused, and manipulated - the grey-furred tyrant had said it himself. He had been a fool to believe that the black-hearted ham would ever grant him his most heartfelt wishes.

But he would show his change of heart, and stand up to Steel, even if it was the last thing he did.

"You're doing nothing but terrible things, Steel! I thought...I thought that if I followed you, and carried out all of your orders, you would give me the power and the recognition that I wanted!"

He now knew, as he watched Steel recess from a sarcastic ham with a cool demeanor into a madham, that he had been a naive fool to believe Steel's hollow lies. And he had been an outright idiot to let himself slip into darkness, hurting not only himself, but his family, whom he knew, deep down in his heart, really and truly cared about him, despite all of the teasing, and he hated to think of the pain he had caused them by joining Steel's path of destruction...Princess Hamorette's words to him earlier that day were right, and he realized that now. He had always known that they were true, but refused to believe that he had possibly made an error in judgement.

But he also knew that now, there was a chance to mend his wrongs.

With Steel's enraged azure eyes boring into him with a clear intent to maim, Nikolai forged on, swallowing his fear and narrowing his hazel eyes indignantly, "But I see now that following you was a mistake! Because even if you were going to give me the power I've always dreamed of...it doesn't pay to achieve my dreams through nightmares!"

"Why, you insolent little ingrate - !" Steel bellowed, as crimson energy began to radiate from his scepter once again. His azure eyes practically steamed with outrage. "You could have been a strong ham, had you only followed what you were told! You useless, sniveling coward - I should have known better than to employ your meager help!"

Nikolai went on, ignoring his former master's biting words and letting out all that he had kept pent up inside, squeaking as loud as his wheezy little voice would go, for all around to hear his declaration, "I've been doing your bidding for too long, Steel! I realize now that there are better ways to prove that I'm strong! I may not be big on the outside, but I can make up for it by having a big heart! Your path of terror ends here!"

With that, the nimble thief turned sharply on his heel and darted for the center of the bridge, where the luminous Staff of Dreams lay, heart thundering a hundred miles an hour in his tiny chest.

Steel began to physically shake with burning anger. His loyal servant had betrayed him for the lighthearted fools that dared oppose him?! True, he had never intended to fulfill Nikolai's dreams of strength and recognition, but he had never thought the meek, scrawny little ham would ever in a million _years _defy him; especially now, when he had all the power of the world in his paws. He couldn't deny that the betrayal irked him, and it irked him further _because _it irked him. He should have known that the little scaredy-ham would prove to be outright useless...His nose wrinkled in disdain as he watched his former hench-ham scurry rapidly and purposefully toward the Staff of Dreams, as if he would be able to atone for his past wrongs aiding Steel by fetching it for the opposition. Through his building rage, Steel managed a smirk, as he raised his crackling scepter and aimed it for the tan, shaggy-furred little ham.

If Nikolai had switched sides, then the traitorous little fool would not be spared.

Hamtaro watched Nikolai scamper with admiring brown eyes. With a faint glimmer of hope in his voice, the hero exclaimed, the others around him equally as astounded, "Guys - I think Nikolai's joining our side!"

"He turned against Steel!" Panda marveled, thrilled by the turn of events. "Skyla and Uncle C are going to be so happy when they hear about this!"

Hamorette's jade eyes filled with fresh, cold tears, though a brilliant smile had broken out on her dirt-smudged face. Perhaps her little talk with Nikolai had paid off more than she originally anticipated...and she was extremely glad to see that Nikolai had a good heart, after all, and wasn't as corrupted by Steel's desires as she had feared. He was truly proving himself to be a ham worthy of knighthood...or, at least, when he had grown another few centimeters...

"And hey - I think he's getting the Staff of Dreams for us!"

"Way to go, little guy!" Stan cheered, pumping a paw, while Cappy crowed, "A ham with a hat _that _cool has to be a good ham!"

Hamtaro found a smile spreading across his face, but it faded as soon as he saw the infuriated Steel raise his scepter, murderous azure eyes focused steadily on little Nikolai. His insides grew cold as he realized what the horrible villain was about to do, in retaliation of Nikolai's abrupt betrayal, and an overwhelming sense of urgency filled Hamtaro's mind. Terrified, Hamtaro stepped forward and yelled in warning, brown eyes wide and paws trembling around his sword,

"Nikolai, watch _out_!"

As he ran, Nikolai managed to send a fleeting look over his shoulder, just in time to see Steel's glowing scepter, pointed directly at him. He gasped, and whipped his head forward again, hazel eyes wide as pumped his legs harder, sprinting as fast as he could to reach that pink and gold staff, keeping his eyes on the prize and nothing else, despite what he knew was looming behind him...

Steel's cry echoed all around, coupled with his wicked laughter, "If you dare to turn your back on me, you will meet the same fate as the others!"

He launched the attack from his scepter, and it shot like an immense scarlet rocket, ten times the size of the attack that hit Joy, headed straight for the tiny little ham in the green hat, just as he skidded to a stop beside the discarded Staff of Dreams. For a split second, a gaping Hamtaro was sure that Nikolai would just grab the staff and make a mad dash for them, like the skilled thief he was, but, the little ham simply cast his bright hazel eyes to the incoming burst of energy and seem to realize that it wasn't something he could outrun. A knowing gleam sprang into his eyes and he quickly grabbed the Staff of Dreams, reared back, and threw it toward Hamtaro with all of his might. It sailed like a javelin through the night air, safely out of range of Steel's attack, a shooting star against the darkness. It landed with a clatter at Hamtaro's feet, but Hamtaro's gaze was fixated on the little ham, and nothing else.

The ham-hams watched as Nikolai's tiny form was framed in the brilliant crimson light, a little flurry of courage standing tall and mighty against overbearing evil, facing his fate with more bravery beating in his small heart than the ham-hams had ever seen from a single ham before. Nikolai found himself with a small, almost melancholic smile as he was engulfed by sizzling crimson, and he felt a surging heat surround him before everything went black, still, and numb, blazing red fading to nothingness.

He would never get a chance to apologize to his family...but at least he had stood up to Steel, in the end. Maybe, just maybe, he had proved that he wasn't useless, after all.

"_I'm sorry....dad...._"

There was the sound of a loud explosion that sent an immense plume of dust into the air, blinding all witnesses, as well as scattered bits of rock and marble that rained from the bridge like a summer shower. The ham-ham's eyes stung and they coughed and spluttered, waiting for the air to clear. Slowly, but surely, their vision grew better, and the stinging tears in their eyes began to fade as well...

"Nikolai!" Hamtaro managed to choke in horror, as he and his comrades all stared ahead of them, squinting to see through the dusty haze.

At first, as their vision began to clear, the ham-hams could see nothing, but then a small figure could be seen through the dissolving haze, laying still in a small crater created by Steel's attack, his slightly-charred tan fur pressed against the cold stone of the bridge. His hazel eyes were closed, his paws limp and lifeless, and even his jaunty green hat, remarkably still set firmly on his head seemed to have lost all vibrancy. His coat was dusty and singed, his eyes shut peacefully. The sight made the ham-hams' hearts feel unbearably cold, as if swallowed in ice, and a few had to blink away tears for their fallen comrade, who had turned his back on evil and helped them, and then paid the ultimate price.

"Nikolai..." Pashmina sighed shakily, placing a warm paw on a trembling Penelope's shoulder, as she realized that Uncle C and Skyla's hopes were going to be crushed...

Bijou squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, as if unwilling to believe the heart-breaking sight before her eyes. "No! No, zis cannot be 'appening!" She mumbled tearfully, crystal clear droplets of sorrow spilling over her snow-colored cheeks. " 'E was only trying to help us!"

And then, the sick laughter of Steel, once again, rang out all around like a daunting declaration of pending doom. Azure eyes agleam with corrupted glee, the iron-furred ham-ham taunted his opposition in a deranged sing-song voice, "Do you see what happens when you _dare _defy me? I've grown too strong to be stopped, you fools! Turn back now - " He snarled malevolently, banging the end of his scepter on the ground as some kind of warning. " - or you will wind up just like that good for nothing traitor and your other little _friend_!" He pointed first to the limp body of Nikolai, and then toward the spot where Joy had plummeted into the shadows beneath the bridge.

Hamtaro, blood boiling in his veins turned to the malicious miscreant with narrowed brown eyes, outraged and sad at seeing two kind-hearted hamsters fall within minutes of each other as they tried to do what Hamtaro was going to make sure he did successfully, to avenge them and what they had believed in.

Joy and Nikolai...he would make sure their sacrifices were not in vain.

And they would bring an end to Steel's nightmares. _Forever_.

"Steel..."

"_You got it, Hamtaro...now go and beat Steel, alright? I leave it in your paws. I know that there's no ham better suited to take down that villain than you."_

Hamtaro, voice trembling with his building rage, stepped forward and away from his crestfallen friends. He picked up the vibrant Staff of Dreams with one paw, and felt the supernatural energy of the mystical item coursing into his paw like hot lightning. He knew full well that fallen Joy was the rightful wielder of the staff, and now that she was gone it was nothing more than a fancy, brightly-painted stick, but regardless, he gripped it tightly in his paw, the sword Screech had lent him gripped firmly in the other paw. Determined brown met crazed azure across the stone battlefield, and Hamtaro continued, feeling the hero within him awaken with a surge of strength that swept from his toes to the tips of his ears, his friends watching him and supporting him without the use of words, hearts singing, alive with hope,

"I'll make sure Nikolai and Joy didn't die in vain, Steel! You'll pay for what you did to them! It's time to wake the world from your nightmares, once and for all!"

* * *

**CFB: ***_runs and hides in a corner_* Before you all hurl sharp/large objects in my direction, have a little faith in me...okay? And stay tuned for the next chapter! It shall be up very soon! And finally, I'm at 200,000 words! But yeah....it's bittersweet....review please!


	18. Blackout!

**CFB:** Thanks to **sandyandmaxwellfanatic** for pointing out to me that I said Panda was in the last chapter and yeah...he _totally _wasn't. Sorry for the false-alarm! And special thanks to **Theta Jones**, for giving me an idea presented in this chapter, but, to avoid giving it away, I will not reveal what the idea was until the end of the chapter.

Thanks to all who read/reviewed last chapter! I appreciate all of you, so, so much! *_throws cookies at you all...if you don't like cookies, pretend they're like, carrots or something_*

I dunno why....but I put "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga on repeat while I wrote this. But hey, it worked, and if it works I won't mess with it. Don't own the song, by the way. I also ate like, 13 bowls of dry Raisin Bran, which I also don't own. It worked quite well, though. Yay, Raisin Bran!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Hamtaro or characters, own original concepts and characters, yadda, yadda...yadda.

Enjoy! This chapter went through a grand total of THREE rewrites, so I hope this final version is satisfactory. It's the most intense chapter yet.

* * *

**Chapter 17:** _Blackout_!

Screech had seen Fury in were-ham form on several previous occasions, but never this way.

He had seen the murderous gleam in the blood-crazed eyes, but never directed at him.

He had seen Fury's anguish, and conflicted emotions over her curse, but had never seen the fury of the were-ham firstpaw, as a victim rather than an onlooker.

He had been sure that he could handle this fight with Fury's other form, but now was losing that initial confidence.

And he had been frightened before, but never before had fear seized his heart so fiercely, as when he met the were-ham's killer gaze and saw no trace of _his_ Fury anywhere in the murky crimson depths - only bloodlust, hunger, and desire for vengeance lingered there.

It slashed at him with a howl of displeasure, but Screech managed to duck in time, so the claws merely left long rivulets in the stone wall, dislodging several pebbles and leaving the wall marred and cracked. The were-wolf snarled with indignation and snapped ferociously at its prey, agitated that it had yet to sink its teeth into savory flesh. Screech, in the mayhem of trying to escape, stumbled down stairs and through corridors blindly, the feral growls of the were-ham never more than inches away from shredding him to bits, making his heart pound like a war drum in his chest.

The Dreamland knight had been defending himself nearly the entire time, and his arms began to grow heavier with each swipe of his sword and each dodge he was forced to make. The were-ham's fierce crimson eyes and tearing claws danced in front of his eyes like flickering flames, deadly and vivid, as he tried so very hard to focus on avoiding being hurt, and avoiding severely hurting the were-ham, for when the sun rose, it would be Fury once again...and he would never be able to forgive himself if he ever hurt Fury.

...Though he had to admit, in were-ham form, she didn't seem to have the same inhibitions as he.

The fight took them through the vast, hollow castle and eventually, after a near-hit from the were-ham's fangs in one of the many foyers, Screech found himself tumbling over a jagged rock and in a split second, he was sprawled out on dead, dry grass, staring wide-eyed at the full-moon and velvet sky above. He scrambled to his feet swiftly, and his eyes flickered to the place where he had fallen, and he realized he had tumbled through a large hole in the wall, which seemed to be an old wound to the destroyed building, and was now standing at the very back of the grounds, in the gardens of Hamaustere castle.

Or, rather it was the dismal remains of what had once _been _the gardens, back when the castle had been thriving - now, it was a tangle of weeds, vines, and shriveled, decaying plants, black and twisted with the cruelty of time, that resembled fearsome creatures in the darkness of the night, the entire area circled by cracked pillars, a large, stone gazebo still standing in the center, glowing pale white in the luminous moonlight. The area reeked of death, and yet, the moonlight seemed to make the place shine with a life it likely hadn't seen or had in ages, though it also made the ruin of the once glorious place even more apparent.

"WWWWRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!"

Screech had very limited time to enjoy the scenery, as the were-ham came barreling out of the hole in the castle wall shortly after him, eyes burning with a ravenous flame. Screech staggered backwards as the were-ham's fierce claws swiped at him, deflecting the sharp nails with his trusty sword. Each time his sword struck, he felt a shooting pain fly through his arms, like needles puncturing his skin.

A growl erupted deep inside the were-ham's chest, thick fur bristling. Clearly, it wasn't enjoying the thrill of the chase anymore - rather, it wanted to skip straight to the part where the chase, and Screech's life, ended. On light, quivering paws, the were-ham crept forward like a cat stalking a mouse, running a tongue over black, slight-smirking lips. Screech, his own paws trembling slightly, kept a brave front as he stared directly into the crazed eyes of the were-ham, even though it tore his heart apart to do so.

He couldn't believe that it had come to this.

"Fury..."

He knew it was essentially futile to try and reason with the mythical beast, but something deep inside, stirring within his aching soul, was telling him that he had to try.

The were-ham's ears pricked forward, but then flattened straight against its head, and another, now louder growl rippled through the air like a warning signal of some kind. It took a few more steps forward, closing the gap between it and Screech, saliva dripping onto the brown, dead grass. Its claws dragged through the tangle of weeds and dead flowers carelessly, reducing the withered specimens to piles of dust and debris.

Screech drew in a deep breath, and began to walk backwards as the were-ham slunk forward.

"Fury....you _have_ to listen to me. I know you're in there somewhere..." He continued bravely, refusing to allow even the smallest of tremors to enter his resilient voice. He kept his sharp, icy eyes on the twisted visage of the were-ham, crimson boring into frigid cerulean, sword pointed forward.

The were-ham grunted and snapped its jaws together with a resonant clicking noise. It crept forward, and Screech took another step back, his sword outstretched despite the fact that he was loathe to use it against Fury in any way, even if she was perfectly willing to tear him limb from limb at this point.

As he continued to speak, he could feel various emotions clogging his throat, but forced himself to continue, no matter how it pained him. "Fury, can't you remember me? We spent so much time together, laughing, having fun, and we even made it through the hard times, just by being together!" He let out a strangled laugh, surprised at how hollow it made his heart feel as it struck the summer breeze. "Remember when we met? I knocked you over while I was carrying a huge stack of books, and apologized like a mad-ham! You...you thought I was just a goofball, didn't you, Fury? But then we became so much more than that....didn't we?"

Another beastly growl, and no sign of recognition whatsoever, which did nothing to soothe the ache in Screech's heart. The moonlight illuminated the brilliance of the were-ham's blood-colored eyes, and Screech felt his heart sink. He was only vaguely aware that his slow back-stepping was leading him closer and closer to the large stone gazebo, situated in the middle of the garden...and there, if the were-ham managed to corner him, he would be trapped...

"You...you told me about how your parents abandoned you because of your curse, when you were so young, and how lonely you were...and I promised that I'd never let you be that lonely ever again..."

Another growl.

"You told me how much it hurt when that were-ham bit you as a young ham, right on the back of the neck, and how much you hated being a monster...but I never _once _thought you were a monster, Fury...and I said I'd stand by you, always...and I meant it!"

Another vicious grunt.

"And when you told me that you wanted to be with me too, that was the happiest I've ever been Fury...you _can't_ have forgotten that..."

Another snap of salivating fangs.

"Fury...please..." He pleaded. "Please remember me. I swore, way back when I first saw your transformation, that I would stand by you no matter what. And I will make you remember who I am, and how much you mean to me, even if it's the last thing I do! You aren't a monster Fury, and you have to listen to me!"

His impassioned words rang loud and resolute in the warm air, echoing off the stone walls nearby. He watched the were-ham's shoulders tense, the claws grip tightly at the earth, and the ears flatten themselves even more against its head, as if trying to block him out. And then, he felt some sort of some wild hope surge through every muscle, bringing new strength into his weary arms and trampled heart. He felt the wear and tear of the encounter begin to fade as this new strength overtook him, mind and body.

The _were-ham_ didn't want to listen....

For even though the were-ham, or rather, the hamgirl side of its double-edged soul, was unable to emerge or be known through the were-ham's murderous eyes, he knew, from the way the were-ham now reacted to his voice, that somehow, his valiant words were reaching her, or, at the very least, trying to break through. All he had to do was withstand, and break Fury from her lunar reverie, no matter how impossible it was said to be. His heart told him that he could. Or, at the very least, he had to give it his best shot.

If only he could think of words strong enough to pierce the shadow of the were-ham...

* * *

Hamtaro remembered, quite well, the many emotions that assaulted his heart when he had faced the devilish Spyke across Guardian Tower at Hamwall, no more than a few short weeks before. And now, as he stood on the bridge with his burning brown eyes clashing against Steel's murderous azure, with the Staff of Dreams in one paw and his sword in the other, against Steel's crimson scepter and the corrupted Stone of Slumber, he felt an onslaught of new, even more powerful emotions.

This battle would be far more difficult than when he faced Steel. Though he still had the support of his friends, standing proudly behind him, he no longer had the Guardian to lean on, nor a sword of the legendary variety. He had a plain sword, a useless Staff of Dreams, and despite the thundering bravery in his heart, he had a feeling that the odds were more than just against him - they were crushing him.

How could he pull a victory out of this absolutely hopeless situation?

"_You _are my next opponent?" Steel arched a brow. "Then this is going to be far easier than I thought. Why, I was rather looking forward to fighting Hamorette's _precious _Screech...he and I have never seen eye to eye, after all..."

Hamtaro merely stood defiantly, staring Steel down across the bridge. Steel smirked.

"You know, little hero, seeing you over there, all pitiful and whatnot, has tugged a bit on my heartstrings. Tell you what..." Steel sneered, as vibrant energy crackled all around him like scarlet lightning. "Why not just give in now? Surrender, and your pathetic excuse for a life will be spared! Choose to face me, and your fate will be just like those fools, Joy and Nikolai!"

Hamtaro had to admit, surrender sounded far more tempting then death. But he knew that hamsters all over the world were counting on him, and the strength of his heart, to bring an end to Steel's reign of nightmares. His friends, especially, and the residents of Dreamland held such faith in him, he couldn't allow himself to be lulled into giving in, no matter what dangers lay ahead in the fight against Steel.

"A ham-ham never surrenders, Steel! Now, it's time for your path of destruction to end!" Hamtaro declared bravely, puffing his chest out slightly and holding tightly to the sword and the staff. He took a few steps forward, bringing him closer to his nemesis.

Steel laughed, a deep, taunting chuckle. His azure eyes flashed malevolently, as he pointed his scepter at the orange-furred ham-ham. "As you wish, little _stumblebum_! Then your fate shall be just as grim! Nobody tries to defy the wrath of Steel and lives to tell the tale!" He snarled, and fired a beam of the crackling energy toward his new opponent.

Hamtaro felt the inner-hero, dwelling within him, rocket to the surface and kick his reflexes into high gear. The energy beam sailed toward him, but he nimble danced away, so it merely left a shallow crater in the stone where he had been standing moments before. Hamtaro stared toward Steel defiantly, and then at the two weapons in his paws. He knew that Joy had been the only ham capable of wielding the Staff of Dreams, and now it would only be of any use in a paw-to-paw battle, as would his sword. And if he hoped to have any chance against Steel, he would need to get closer, and disable the effectiveness of Steel's long range attacks...

"Have you learned nothing from your friend Joy, fool?" Steel scoffed, as he prepared for another attack, muscles taut and prepared for battle. "The only thing she accomplished with dodging was _death_! You think that doing the same thing will earn you a new result? Think _again_!"

"Not quite, Steel!" Hamtaro countered, as he sprinted forward, weapons at the ready. He had to engage Steel in close-combat in order for him to even have a sliver of a chance against the iron-furred brute...

Steel watched Hamtaro running toward him with a faint hint of both amusement and confusion on his face. Was the little fool actually running to _meet _his ill fate? Steel choked back a laugh of incredulity, but his suspicions also rose, his ears pricking forward slightly. Why would the hero consign himself to such a fate, when so many hamsters depended on him? That didn't seem very likely. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the approaching ham-ham, with the staff and sword in paw...perhaps he had something else in mind, some kind of _plan_?

Steel wrinkled his nose in disdain. Maybe this fight would take a _wee _bit longer than he anticipated. But that was fine, so long as the result was the same....his victory.

He shot another beam of crackling, sinister energy at Hamtaro, who deftly side-stepped it and continued to close the gap in-between himself and Steel. Each step brought him closer to the battle of his life, and the fight for dreams over the intense fright of nightmares, clashing scepter against staff and sword. Now, he could see the smirk spreading across Steel's face even more clearly, as he neared the villainous ham. Steel seemed to have realized that it was a paw-to-paw battle that Hamtaro sought, and looked more than open to the idea.

"Steel!" He bellowed, voice challenging and ringing out against the night sky. "Get ready to fight like a ham!"

He was now no more than a foot or two away...he could practically feel the heat radiating from Steel's scepter. He was suddenly very aware of the frayed blue ribbon, clinging resiliently to his sword arm, and, all at once, he felt the fire of a newfound power surge into his veins, making him feel stronger than he ever had.

Bijou, as well as the rest of the ham-hams and Princess Hamorette, watched the scene with worry reflected in their eyes, though they found themselves oddly mesmerized, as if they couldn't look away from their hammo as he neared the epic showdown with the most dastardly villain they'd ever seen. "You can do eet, Hamtaro!" The french hamgirl called out, though she doubted that he would hear her; his mind was likely focused on the battle ahead and nothing else.

Maxwell's brow furrowed, as he cautiously stepped up to a stern looking Hamorette. "Princess," He began, a nervous edge to his tone. "I have full confidence in Hamtaro's abilities, especially after watching him succeed at Hamwall, but...will the Staff of Dreams be any help to him at all? I thought only the rightful wielder is able to use it properly."

Princess Hamorette's eyes remained glued to the battlefield, but she did reply, her voice a bit distant, tear-tracks still visible on her cheeks, "That is correct, Maxwell. Joy.." Her voice broke somewhat as she spoke the name of her fallen comrade, but forged onward nonetheless, "Joy was the only one able to use the Staff of Dreams. The ancient law dictates that the Staff of Dreams can only be wielded by hamsters with pure hearts, and even purer dreams. As far as I'm aware, no ham has ever been able to use the Staff of Dreams, except for the chosen Protectors of Slumber. And many have tried...and failed. The Staff of Nightmares is much the same...in order to use it, one must have an absolute understanding of the balance between good and evil, and light and dark...and hamsters like that are few and far between. Fury, in her condition, was, I must admit, the perfect candidate..."

Maxwell's eyes seemed to light up slightly, though his brow remained creased with concern. In a slow, thoughtful tone, the bookworm ham mused, "But....does this ancient law ever _explicitly _state that the only hams capable of using the Staffs are the Protectors of Slumber?"

At last, Hamorette's attention was captured fully. Turning to Maxwell with confused jade eyes, the regal replied, gauging Maxwell's face for a reason as to why he would ask such a question, "Well...not really, no, it isn't the exact wording. But the ancient law has been in place for as long as Dreamland has existed, and there has never been an exception to the rule..."

All at once, a light seemed to brighten in her eyes, though her expression became swiftly skeptical. Glancing at Maxwell briefly, and then back to the pending battle, the princess remarked, her tone drenched in pessimism, "You're not thinking that Hamtaro will be able to use the Staff of Dreams, are you?"

Maxwell nodded fiercely. "That's exactly what I'm thinking! I mean, just _imagine _it princess - !"

The princess jutted a paw out toward him, effectively silencing the excited brown-furred bookworm. Sharply, she replied, her tone crisp and clipped, "It's a lovely thought, but it is impossible. Hamtaro will merely have to defeat Steel some other way, because nobody but Joy would have been able to wield the Staff of Dreams. The chances of Hamtaro being able to use it are highly unlikely, and we shouldn't get our hopes up, only to wind up disappointed. Keeping hope in the impossible..."

Her expression darkened. "...is a foolhardy move."

"No offense, Princess Hamorette..." Boss spoke up proudly, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood beside Bijou. "But why _shouldn't _we get our hopes up? If we don't have hope for Hamtaro, then he'll never be able to beat Steel! We've gotta have faith in him, and support him! We can't be negative, or that's exactly like we're giving Steel the advantage!"

"Like, Boss-man is right!" Stan chipped in, eyes determined, as he remained standing between Pashmina and Penelope. "That's our hamdude friend out there, and we gotta keep our hopes high for him to like, kick Steel's evil tail!"

Hamorette's shoulders tensed, but she kept her jade eyes narrowed and firmly directed at the battlefield. How could the ham-hams sound so confident in the face of such overwhelming odds and impossible chances? She had once admired that about them, but sometimes, especially now, in the face of the epic battle against Steel, she couldn't help feeling that their wild hopes and belief in unlikely happenings was merely thick-headed thinking, and nothing more. How could they hold such faith in what appeared to be a hopeless situation?

It was almost as if they _heard _the doubts swirling around in her turmoil-ridden heart, despite the fact she hadn't voiced them.

"Because sometimes, princess, you just have to like, believe!" Sandy spoke up bravely, holding a paw over her heart and staring defiantly toward where Hamtaro was sprinting toward Steel, resolve flaring in her dark brown eyes. "And yeah, like, things may look bad now, but we have to believe that Hamtaro can pull this off!"

Cappy bobbed his head in agreement, grinning. He formed his paws into tiny fists. "Yeah! We have to stand by Hamtaro, no matter how bad things seem! Because that's what hammos do!"

Hamorette looked around to each of them, her expression one of utter amazement, all composure and coolness forgotten for the moment. Could they really be that foolish? To believe so wholeheartedly that victory was on the horizon, when to her, all she could see ahead was a bleak, miserable fate? To look at the potential outcome of this battle with nothing more than _belief_...how could they possibly see a positive result in the end, with such trivial thoughts in their hearts? Joy was gone, Nikolai was gone, Screech was fighting the were-ham who was his mind-controlled girlham, and Sprint and Siren, the Guardian, were out of the picture. And they _still _had hope.

"Who cares about the odds!" Pashmina stamped a paw lightly against the bridge, sniffing back a few tears. "We _know _that Hamtaro can do it, and we have to support him! I don't care how strong Steel is, if we believe in Hamtaro he can be ten times as strong!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope agreed ardently, waving her arms wildly as if to emphasize her point.

"Hamtaro's my hamigo! And there's no ham better suited to take on steel! I, uh....I _know _it!" Oxnard added bravely.

Hamorette could not believe that the ham-hams could have such blind faith in the hopeless. But, at the same time, she couldn't help but find their dedication heartwarming. Refusing to acknowledge to possibility of defeat, and denying potential doom, was either very admirable of them or the most foolish move they could ever make. She shifted her softened jade eyes back to the pending battle between Hamtaro and Steel, and a small smile graced her lips.

"Perhaps...perhaps you _are _right."

"You bet your crown we're right, princess!" Boss declared boldly, a gleam in his eyes as he stood facing the showdown between his hammo and their enemy. "Hamtaro's got the power of dreams in his paws now, and he was already a hero before that! When you put Hamtaro's heart up against Steel's, there's no comparison as to who's the stronger ham, and that's what really matters!"

Maxwell nodded, a tight smile on his face. "You're exactly right, Boss! Besides, if any ham has a chance of being an exception to that ancient rule, with his dreams and what's in his heart..."

Bijou finished the sentence for him, her voice powerful and practically radiating with hope as she held a paw over her heart, blue eyes faithful and never leaving the figure of the orange-furred ham-ham as he was only inches away from Steel, her heart pounding in her chest...

"Zen it _'as_ to be Hamtaro!"

Said hero had successfully dodged each one of Steel's attempted attacks, and now found himself within paw-to-paw combat range, as he had been hoping. "Hyaaaa!!!" He cried, closing the distance between himself and the evil ham as he brought both the Staff of Dreams and the sword in his paw down in a swinging motion toward the smirking villain, but the larger, azure-eyed ham merely held up his scepter and they met in a stand-off of good versus evil, and dark versus light. As the scepter clashed with the Staff of Dreams, pink energy clashed with red, and a sizzling sound could be heard over the grunts of the struggling hams.

"You hopeless buffoon!" Steel growled, face contorted into a fierce snarl as he stared hatefully at the ham who dared oppose him. In combat this close, he couldn't use energy beams, for they would only wind up hurting himself as well - but he was more than confident in his paw-to-paw abilities regardless, so he worried little about the loss of long-range attacks. "It doesn't matter how you attack me! I can defeat you paw-to-paw, _or_ at a distance - it doesn't matter! You, and your so-called hammos, stand no chance against me!"

"We have a great chance!" Hamtaro countered, though his arms strained with the effort to fend off Steel and the screaming pain of his muscles nearly halted his ability to talk. His brown eyes narrowed in focus and pain both. "As long as we don't give up, there's _always _a chance!"

"Spare me your inspirational drivel, _'O Brave One_!'" Steel spat sarcastically, and, with a roll of his eyes, managed to thrust his arms forward and throw Hamtaro backwards and off-balance, though the younger ham swiftly regained his composure. "Idiotic things, such as faith and hope, are completely ridiculous when you're facing me. I've waited _years _for this moment, and no ham will stand in my way!"

Hamtaro scowled darkly at Steel, and slashed forward with his sword, only to have it swatted away by Steel's scepter. "You're wrong, Steel!" He bellowed, feeling the intense emotions within his heart churn to life even more. "Hope and faith are _never _ridiculous, and they always win out over evil! It's you and your horrible nightmares that will be beaten, Steel!"

"_Please_!" Steel sneered, as he took a swipe at Hamtaro with his crackling scepter, narrowly missing the smaller ham's stomach, shearing off a couple strands of white fur. "What fantasy world are you living in? That babble can only be found in children's storybooks, not in this cold reality! Hope and faith are nothing but _lies_! Rotten, filthy _lies_!"

Hantaro retreated a few steps, facing Steel while breathing somewhat heavily, weapons still at the ready in his firm paws. "How can you say that?" He asked, eyes flashing with anger, as he prepared to deliver another blow. "How can you say that hope and faith are lies? They don't feel like lies to me!"

He brought the Staff of Dreams down, and it met Steel's scepter in midair. There was the sound of wood striking wood, and both scarlet and carnation colored sparks rained down upon them like glittering snow. Hamtaro, thinking quick, attempted to slash at Steel's side with the blunt side of his sword, but the iron-furred ham was too swift, and kicked his paw out viciously, so it struck Hamtaro's paw and the sword was sent skittering away across the bridge, now useless to him and too far out of reach. Hamtaro looked momentarily discouraged, before he resumed his heated staring contest with Steel, now placing both of his paws on the Staff of Dreams and pumping all of his energy into his arms, though he still strained with the effort of deadlocking Steel. Now, it was truly one on one...and Hamtaro struggled hard against the mammoth he was trying to fend off.

"How can I _say _that?" Steel demanded, taking a forceful step forward and driving Hamtaro backwards. Suddenly, his azure eyes seemed to shine with a newfound intensity - as if the true evil had been awoken inside of him once more, and with a vengeance. His voice morphed from calm and steely to impassioned and crazed, in a matter of seconds, edged with emotions so unlike him it was scarcely believable that it came from him.

"I can say that _easily_, you cretin! Had you seen half of the things that I have seen in my life, you wouldn't be so keen on those preposterous ideas of friendship, love, faith, hope, and other useless inanity such as that! You don't know what it's _like_, having high hopes in someham, only to be let down, your entire world _destroyed_! By someone you trusted, and believed in, and cared for no less! Every hope I ever had - every dream, every wish - went unfulfilled, and all my faith turned out to be completely and utterly wasted! That's the reality of those foolish ideas that you spew! That is all that dreams turn into - nothing! Absolutely _nothing_!"

Steel's words were loud enough that they rang clear in the ears of the ham-hams across the bridge as well, and nearly every pair of eyes widened in surprise. "What is he _talking _about?" Stan asked, tilting his head to one side in extreme confusion. "Dude, the hamdude really is crazy!"

"I am not zo sure..." Bijou remarked, her brow furrowed. "Steel zounds like 'e ees _'urt!_"

"Well, he also looks really intent on hurt_ing_ Hamtaro!" Boss countered, appearing unconvinced, though his eyes seemed somewhat uncertain of what Steel was saying - as if he were trying to process exactly what the villain was talking about. "Hurt or not, he's still a villain."

"But...Bijou's right!" Pashmina piped up, fidgeting nervously on her feet and fiddling with her scarf. "Steel sounds...like he's in pain, almost! I've never heard him speak that way before - he didn't even sound like himself!"

"Ookwee!" Penelope agreed, with a solemn nod of her head.

Sandy's eyes were wide, and her mouth-half open, paws trembling at her sides. Steel's words resonated in her head like an echo, over and over, strangely familiar. She hadn't heard them before, specifically, but the tone in his voice was uncanny, and struck a painful chord in her mending heart that had only just begun to heal.

"He talks....like he had his heart _broken_."

Maxwell's eyes flitted to his girlham in concern, but then his gaze quickly flickered back to Steel and Hamtaro's fierce battle, and, as he played Steel's monologue once again in his head, he found himself agreeing with Sandy's observation. He draped an arm across his hamgirl's shoulder. "Sandy's right! The catch in his voice, and all that anger...he does sound like his heart has seen better days. But why would he _sound _this way? Especially so suddenly...perhaps it is a deep wound that has been cut open again? One that he received long before this sudden desire for power?" Maxwell speculated aloud, a contemplative look spreading across his face.

Cappy frowned. "Didn't he say, some time before....that he wanted revenge? Maybe that has something to do with it!"

Oxnard shuddered. "I'd bet my lucky seed that it's got something to do with it!"

"Yeah..." Stan agreed, eyes narrowed. "But...we never like, knew _why _he wanted revenge. And why is he all down on dreams and stuff? I never met a more pessimistic ham, but there's gotta be a reason for all of it."

Boss, tapping a paw to his chin, turned to a silent Princess Hamorette and queried curiously, placing a paw on her shoulder, "You got any idea why Steel would be acting this way, or why he'd be saying such things, Princess?" However, once Boss took a look at the princess's expression, he retracted his paw as though he'd been burned and spluttered,

"P-princess? Are you alright?"

Hamorette was standing completely still, her paws hanging limply at the sides of her dirty, ragged dress, knees trembling only slightly, as if she were on the verge of collapse. Her mouth was hanging open, but silent, as if words had failed her completely, and her jade eyes were wide, a vast array of emotions swirling within them - anywhere from regret and remorse to pain and sorrow. She looked so utterly anguished that it had surprised Boss to the point of having to take a few staggering steps backward, and now, each of the other hams were taking notice of the princess's condition, shooting worried gazes in her direction. The regal princess looked as if all wind had been taken from her sails, and all the composure she maintained, and the prim properness she exuded, dissipated, leaving her to look like a scared, meek, statuesque little hamgirl, pale and distressed.

"Princess, what is it?" Pashmina asked nervously, voicing aloud the concerns of every ham, Hamorette's abrupt shift in mood very alarming to each of them. However, no ham dared to approach the princess, for they sensed that something was very, very wrong with the scenario, and that Hamorette's switch in demeanor was far more foreboding than they could ever have imagined.

The princess was silent for a moment, staring forward like she had seen a ghost. And then, she blinked, and murmured, voice broken and pitchy, as if she were struggling mightily with various emotions, like they were knives converging on her vocal chords,

"F-father....he...he said it _had _to be done. There...there wasn't anything I could do! I...I was young! I was naive! How...how could I have _known_....? I...._oh_, I've made a horrible mistake!"

Sandy's brow furrowed as she looked expectantly at the disheveled princess. "....Princess? What...are you talking about?" Each of the hams looked equally as confounded, and were exchanging looks of worry and confusion amongst themselves. What could possibly be making Hamorette act in such a way? They had never heard her sound like that before, so sad and...destroyed. Like every shred of emotion in her had been severed to the breaking point.

Hamorette did not reply, and it rather looked as if she hadn't even heard Sandy's question, and kept her wide eyes centered on the feud between Hamtaro and Steel. There was a long silence, only the clangs of Hamtaro's staff striking Steel's scepter heard in the distance, and then, Hamorette's voice seemed to come back to earth, though she still refused to look at the ham-hams and her pained tone remained as she explained,

"You...you are right. He _doesn't _sound like Steel. But...but that's...because he _isn't _Steel."

Boss's mouth fell open in shock, and the other hams had similar reactions. "What do you mean, princess?"

Oxnard squinted into the distance, as if scrutinizing the iron-furred ham who was currently fighting it out with his hamigo. "He, uh, _looks _like Steel to me..."

"Yep, that's the grey-furred maniac that we all know and loathe!" Stan nodded his head decisively. "Who else would he be?"

Hamorette shook her head slowly, golden ringlets waving gently with her motion. Her bottom lip quivered, as if she were hovering on the point of tears, and her jade eyes seemed to gloss over with unshed grief. "No...when he speaks like this, he isn't Steel. This...this is his _other _side. The side he's been trying to forget for four long years, and the side he so desperately wanted to leave in the past...but I can see that it still remains a part of him, even now, though it's been buried very deep inside his blackened heart..."

The ham-hams fell silent, as they processed her words, though the true meaning of what the princess was saying continued to elude them, as if they were missing just one piece, one tiny piece, of a vast, mysterious puzzle that had slowly been solved over time.

"This...this anguish....is not Steel's...it's _his_."

The ham-hams felt their blood run cold. Who.....was _he? _

Hamtaro couldn't deny that Steel was a far more formidable adversary than Spyke had been, in terms of both combat and level of evilness. But Steel's sudden soliloquy on the uselessness of dreams had caught the orange-furred ham off guard, and he found himself quickly devoid of the upper-paw, as Steel slashed and struck at him with his sizzling, crackling scepter and the tainted Stone of Slumber. Fueled by some new surge of rage, Steel seemed to have become even more of a mad ham than he had been before, and the crazed azure gleam in his eye was now accompanied by some kind of dark sorrow, lingering there like mist.

"Steel...." Hamtaro grunted, not sure what words he could use to try and calm the enraged villain down. Something that Steel had said was gnawing at him, irking him...

"_Every hope I ever had - every dream, every wish - went unfulfilled, and all my faith turned out to be completely and utterly wasted! That's the reality of those foolish ideas that you spew! That is all that dreams turn into - nothing! Absolutely _nothing_!_"

Something....something haunting, was making Steel talk that way. Was making Steel the destructive, chaotic fiend that wanted the destruction of peace in the hamster world.

And he had to bring an end to it.

Steel continued on his tirade as is scepter sent a cascade of red sparks raining down on Hamtaro, though they failed to harm the valiant hero, "You think your little _friends _will stand by you forever? _Spare _me! The second you begin to weaken and falter, they'll turn their back on you! Friends do nothing but take advantage of you while you still have use, and then betray you when they don't need you any more! Their support for you is a _sham_! A _lie_! You can't rely on them anymore than they can reply on you - the only person you can trust is yourself, because no one else gives two seeds about you and your miserable fate! You could die right now, and they'd merely _replace _you!"

Hamtaro's blood boiled, and he swiped at a slightly more erratic Steel with the Staff of Dreams. He landed his first successful hit, as the wood landed hard on Steel's left shoulder, pink, glittering light sparking as the staff touched Steel's fur. The tyrant roared in indignation, and his eyes narrowed into cold blue slits, wincing slightly with the pain. He immediately began slashing furiously at Hamtaro, though the orange-furred ham managed to nimbly raise the staff to meet each of Steel's blows. He felt the effectiveness of his skills sharpen considerably, as she hero lurking in his soul emerged even more, and he met Steel hit for hit, like an accomplished fighter, though it was only his second fight ever.

"You're wrong, steel! My friends will always stand by me! You don't understand how strong our bond is! Once a hammo, always a hammo!" Hamtaro countered briskly, as he side-stepped a parry from Steel's enraged swinging.

Steel grimaced darkly. "You know _nothing_, you pathetic little fool! By putting faith and trust in your friends, you are orchestrating your own _demise_! It's hams like you that make my fur crawl, with your hopeless little babblings about hope and dreams! I will make you see the error of your foolhardy wishes - even if I have to kill you to do it! Better yet..." He snarled, azure eyes burning with an unfounded hatred. "Why don't I kill your little _friends_? Maybe then you'd have some idea, some _semblance _of an idea - of what I've gone through!"

"I'll _never _let you hurt my friends!" Hamtaro rebuked, swirling the Staff in midair, as if attempting to disorient Steel, and then bringing it crashing down toward Steel's already injured shoulder. However, Steel had been anticipating the move and deflected Hamtaro's attack, then striking a split second later, landing a blow to Hamtaro's stomach. The smaller ham gasped and his eyes widened in surprise, and he staggered backward, doubled over, narrowly avoiding a followup strike as Steel tried to bash his head in, though he hit the stone bridge instead, leaving a crack in the rock.

"Aw....are you tired already, little _hero_?" Steel mocked, as he watched Hamtaro straighten himself, breathing heavily as he tried to recapture his breath. "Because we've only just begun to fight! I'm not through _toying _with you yet!"

Hamtaro glared, chocolate brown eyes perseverant. "Toy with _this_!" He lurched forward, lashing out at Steel with the Staff of Dreams, paws firm. The devilish ham, startled slightly by Hamtaro's abrupt jolt of power, barely managed to deflect Hamtaro's strike. And, when the orange-furred ham-ham struck again, he managed to land another blow to Steel's already wounded shoulder, and Steel felt a sharp shot of pain rocket up his arm. He growled, displeased. Nobody had ever been able to match him blow-for-blow before...

And he had never seen such a determined hamster, with such resolve in his eyes. It was almost...strange, to see someone so intent on stopping him. So determined, when the odds were to fiercely against him...

Steel's face twisted into a snarl, and he felt hatred bubbling deep within him as he stared at his foe, both hamsters now panting somewhat from exertion. Who did this ham think he was, standing up to him, a _near-invincible _ham? He truly was a fool, of the highest class, to think he had a chance against the power of darkness Steel now had at his disposal. And yet, as he stared into the deep, powerful brown eyes of his newest enemy, standing steadfast across from him, Steel couldn't help but feel a gnawing at his cold heart...something familiar...

Something like _fear_.

"Impossible..." Steel muttered to himself, as he felt himself begin to physically shake with building rage, trying to quell the unpleasant feeling in his heart. "He knows _nothing_. This fool...his idiotic beliefs will be his downfall!"

He was completely unprepared for what Hamtaro said next.

"...I feel bad for you, Steel."

Steel's eyes widened in surprise, so stunned that his anger dissipated for a moment as he struggled to absorb those unexpected words. Hamtaro was looking at Steel with saddened brown eyes, tinted with pity. He had lowered the Staff of Dreams, so it hung uselessly at his side, and his shoulders were slumped, ears drooped slightly. Steel was so taken aback that he also lowered his scepter, and the crackling energy radiating off of it ceased instantly, and he stopped shaking. He merely stared, incredulous and wide-eyed, at the younger ham before him, who was giving him that look...that look of pity mixed with sadness, and....empathy.

As if anyham could understand how he felt.

No one understood.

Not _one_.

"You sound like you've been hurt, Steel. To have no hope, and no belief, and to be so completely against the concept of dreams...then _something _must have happened to you. Something must have made you act this way, and something must have turned your heart so cold. I may not know what it is, but...I do know one thing...."

His brown eyes narrowed, as he let the words in his heart stream out.

"That's no reason to destroy the happiness of hamsters all over the world! To take away their dreams, because you lost yours...how is that fair? If someham hurt you, and made you act this way...then how can you stand there and hurt so many others? You're just creating an endless circle of pain. How can that make anything better? How can taking every ham's dreams away...make up for the loss of yours?"

Steel froze, oddly captivated by the hero's words. The ham-hams across the bridge were also entranced, in awe of the bravery their hammo was showing in the face of great danger.

Hamtaro stared hard at the bridge beneath his feet. "Someham might have hurt you in the past, or betrayed you...but that's no reason to cause so much suffering for others. Joy, and Nikolai...they didn't do anything to you, and still suffered, all for nothing. In the end, if you continue on this way...you will only be even emptier than you are now. But...if you turn back...maybe you can restore your dreams. Maybe, you can even make some new dreams! Steel...please! This is all wrong! This will solve _nothing_!"

The words fell on Steel's ears like a fog, seeping slowly into his subconscious. And then, as they registered fully in his mind, he shook his head desperately to clear those ideas from it. A new, even more twisted fury broke out on his face, mixed with some kind of fresh, tearing pain, and with an enraged fire burning in his azure eyes. Emotions threatening to tear apart his heart, he swung at an earnest Hamtaro and struck him so fiercely across the jaw with his scepter that the orange-furred ham was thrown backward, flying through the air for a moment before landing hard on his back, gasping for air, half a foot away - now far enough away so that Steel could use longer ranged attacks again.

"Hamtaro!" The ham-hams screamed anxiously.

"Get up, Hamtaro!" Boss yelled, cupping his paws around his mouth so his commanding voice would carry. "There's no sense in trying to reason with him! Get up and _fight_!"

"Hamtaro! Please, get up!" Bijou shouted, clasping both paws over her heart.

Hamtaro, gasping desperately for air, sat up and stared hard at Steel, who was pointing the scepter toward him, malicious intent in his turmoil-ridden azure eyes. "I have no _reason _to be doing this?" He hissed, paws gripping his sparking scepter even tighter as his eyes bore into Hamtaro's across the rift separating them. "What do _you _know? That's all well and good for you to say, because you have no idea what I've been through! And I can solve it all through _revenge_! Just you wait and see! That is the only way for me to be satisfied! The rest of the world _deserves _to experience the suffering I have endured! You words mean _nothing _to me! This is the _only _fair way! If I lose everything, so do all of you!"

He watched as Hamtaro struggled to get to his feet, using the Staff of Dreams as support, but the orange-furred ham was too battered to move that much. His legs kept buckling beneath him uselessly, like a newborn calf, and his arms shook with fatigue as he tried to pull himself up. The malicious smirk decorating Steel's features widened, as he ignored the gnawing sensation in his chest that increased as he recalled the hero's pathetic plea from moments before.

He _knew _what he was doing was the only way to achieve the vengeance he needed.

There was no doubt about it. No matter what that ridiculous, annoying ham-ham claimed...

Revenge was the only way. The only clear path. He would go on to destroy Dreamland...so _she _would know the pain that he had suffered. And then, he would move onto the rest of the world. Because they _all _deserved to know the pain that he had felt, tearing at him, for the past four years. Every last one of them.

Steel concentrated every ounce of energy he had into his scepter, his fur bristling with the effort. The Stone of Slumber shone bloody crimson, sinister and wicked, sparking and crackling with menacing scarlet electricity, a humming sound echoing around it as it gathered power. Steel's azure eyes glowed red with the light of the scepter, and soon, the energy surrounding it had built to such proportions, it seemed as if Steel's fur had been set ablaze. All of his pain, and the torment, and the hatred he had accumulated over the years was channeled into a single, deadly attack. His paws shook slightly with the effort of holding onto the power-packed scepter, and, through the red haze that had surrounded him, Steel's frigid azure locked with Hamtaro's resilient brown. Immediately, the coy and sly Steel had returned, to face his enemy - focusing his scepter on Hamtaro, prepared to strike at any moment.

"Any last words, _hero_?"

Hamtaro tried once again to haul himself to his feet, but fell right back down on his tail, limbs trembling uncontrollably. His eyes flickered from Steel's vengeful gaze to the Staff of Dreams he held tightly in his shaking paw. Joy had been the rightful wielder, and had taken the ability to use it properly with her as she had plummeted to her dismal fate. Hamtaro could feel a faint, dull heat as he clutched the staff, filtering into his paw. If only he could use it, somehow...use the power of dreams to counter Steel's destructive energy blasts...if only it weren't _impossible_.

Still....impossible or not...he had to try.

He could _not _give up.

His friends were counting on him. Hamorette was counting on him. The whole of Dreamland was counting on him, and even the rest of the hamster world - all of their fates rested on his weary shoulders. He had said, back in the Chamber of Peaceful Rest, that he fought for his friends, because they were what was most important to him, and what he held dearest in his heart. And if he allowed himself to lose to Steel now, on this moonstruck battlefield, then he would have failed at fulfilling that purpose - that motivation that had brought him to this point. He would have let them down. And he couldn't disappoint them, when they had such high faith in him.

"C'mon, Hamtaro!" Oxnard shouted, clutching at his lucky seed.

"You can't let that mean ol' Steel get to you!" Cappy cried.

"We believe in you, Hamtaro!" Pashmina called worriedly, a frightened Penelope watching fearfully, but hopefully at her elbow.

As he closed his chocolate brown eyes in concentration, he could hear each of them - their words of encouragement, circling around in his head and strengthening the resolute beating of his warrior heart. Bringing newfound strength to his trembling limbs, and coaxing the inner hero out of hiding even further. They were the reason he could not afford to lose, or give in to the tempting release of defeat. And one voice, sweet and soft, rose above all the others and rang in Hamtaro's ears like the gentle beauty of a windchime, as the tattered ribbon on his arm rustled slightly in the night air,

"_Good luck. I have faith zat you will be a _wondachu _hero, once again!_"

Hamtaro felt his heart begin to speed up, and he embraced the hero awakening inside of him. All at once, as he transformed fully into that heroic persona, he felt a sudden power rush into his veins, from his toes to the tips of his ears, like a warm, pleasant flame. And as he felt that energy circulating inside his body, curing him instantly of his prior fatigue, he found himself filtering the new strength from his body into the Staff of Dreams, his paw tingling with the effort it took.

"For Dreamland..."

The Staff of Dreams began to hum to life, vibrating slightly, off and on in Hamtaro's paw, as if trying to find the strength to work.

"For Joy and Nikolai..."

Brighter bubble-gum pink sparks began to flicker about the staff, though still weak and spluttering. However, the paw holding the staff began to feel warmer, sending a tingling sensation up Hamtaro's arm, that spread throughout his body and to his heart. The humming grew louder, like a single, faint musical note, wavering, but resilient.

Steel's eyes widened. Was....was this pathetic fool _actually _gathering the right power to use the Staff of Dreams? There was no way...it had to be a mistake, a fluke of some kind...

"For the hamster world..."

The sparks radiating from the Staff of Dreams began to increase in intensity, until they were just as vibrant and electric as the crimson ones from Steel's scepter. The warmth surrounded Hamtaro like a comforting haze, curing his muscles of fatigue and bringing strength back into his tired limbs. It was almost as if the energy of the staff now flowed within his veins, together with the blood of a hero that had been awakened. Bright, bubble-gum pink energy began to accumulate around the brilliant golden sun fixated at the top of the staff, and all at once, beams of glimmering golden light began to flow in symbiosis with the pink, blending the two colors together seamlessly as one, crackling and sparking and creating one large, dream-fueled attack, aimed directly for Steel and the corrupted Stone of Slumber.

"Impossible..." Hamorette murmured faintly, as she watched with stunned jade eyes as Hamtaro pumped power into the Staff of Dreams. "....He's actually using it!" The other ham-hams appeared equally as in awe, but small, furtively hopeful smiles had begun to spread across their faces, the pink and golden lights reflected in their gleaming eyes. Their hearts began to thunder with nerves and excitement both, as they watched their friend try and summon enough strength to make the impossible possible.

Hamtaro's paws shook with the effort of keeping the Staff centered on Steel, but his brown eyes were shining with an unparalleled determination, reflecting a fire that could only be found in the steely eyes of legends. Every dream he had, every wish - he focused them all into one single, powerful effory. He stood his ground firmly, paws set, and cried one final declaration to the dark grey clouds,

"...And for my _friends_!"

"I know you can save us, Hamtaro!" Bijou cried hopefully over the buzz of the energy surrounding Hamtaro and their villainous nemesis, crystalline tears falling from her cerulean eyes as she poured her heart into her voice, watching her hero with the utmost faith residing in her soul.

Her passionate cry rang in Hamtaro's ears, and it was the final burst he needed - the last piece of the puzzle, finally having found its proper place, in the form of a single voice.

Steel bellowed one last war cry as an enormous beam of brilliant crimson energy exploded from his scepter and rocketed like a meteor for a resolute Hamtaro. At the same time, a luminous, beautiful ray of pink and golden energy shot from the Staff of Dreams, making Hamtaro skid a few inches backward, colors blending and sparkling like some kind of celestial light, ethereal and heavenly, humming faintly like the music of an angel, illuminating the bridge and bringing it to life. The attacks hurtled toward one another, matched in size and intensity, though vastly different in nature. The ham-hams watched, amazed and hopeful, as the beams of light struck each other head on, and there was the sound of an explosion and sizzling electricity, as in a lighting storm, and Hamtaro and Steel were engulfed in a mix of gold, crimson, and pink, hidden from sight as lustrous beams of pure white light shot out in all directions from the point where the two attacks had met, shooting off into the faded night sky like shooting stars. There was another explosion, louder and more terrifying than the first, making a fierce wind ruffle the fur of the ham-hams and the princess, and murky smoke billowed and spread across the bridge, black and thick, shrouding the outcome of the battle in mystery.

"_Hamtaro_!" The ham-hams yelled simultaneously once the noise had died down, standing forward on their toes, ears pricked forward eagerly, as they waited for the cloud of dust to disappear, hopefully revealing their orange-furred friend to be the victor.

"Hamtaro..." Bijou whispered, clasping both paws over her heart.

The smoke began to clear as the summer breeze riffled through it, and they squinted their eyes to catch a better look, hearts thundering in their chests and eyes agleam with a wild hope that what had been thought to be impossible had actually been achieved...

* * *

"Fury - _please_! You have to remember who I am!"

Screech danced out of the way as the were-ham's claws came tearing down toward him, shining silver with the light of the full moon. The sky had reached the early stages of dawn - instead of black, the horizon had turned a fading shade of grey, and the stars had lost some of their prior luster, but morning was still, at the very least, a few minutes off, and that meant that Screech still had quite a bit of time to fend off the were-ham, a task that was growing more and more difficult with each passing second.

"WWWWWRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!"

The were-ham lurched forward and snapped its jaws together with a fierce click, and Screech found himself unable to dodge properly in time. The beast managed to clamp its fangs down on Screech's sword, metal clashing with sharp incisors and making a terrible, shrill scratching noise. The creature tried to tear the sword from Screech's grasp, but he clung to the hilt resiliently with both paws, ice-blue eyes narrowed with the effort to hold on. He was lifted into the air, as the were-ham drew back so it was standing on its hind legs, staring at the knight with hungry, aggravated ruby-red eyes.

The were-ham growled with displeasure, and shook its shaggy head from side to side, trying to send Screech flying. He gritted his teeth and tried to tighten his grip on the weapon, but his paws were slick with sweat and after one good shake, he was sent careening toward the ground. He shut his eyes tight and braced himself for impact, and he felt his back strike a cold, hard stone surface. When he opened his eyes and focused his blurred vision, he found that he was laying smack-dab in the center of the cracked stone gazebo, surrounded by partially broken pillars and an intricate, decorative railing that had also seen the wear of time.

"No...."

There was no escape, as the were-ham, smirking devilishly, moved so that it was standing in the entranceway to the gazebo, blacking the only exit of the once beautiful piece of architecture, the beast framed by the silvery light of the moon that had cursed it. It had tossed the sword away, permanently out of reach. Screech felt his heart sink into his stomach, heavy as lead.

A growl humming deep in its chest, the were-ham lowered itself back onto all fours, and stalked forward slowly, paws clicking against the stone of the gazebo, saliva dripping from bared, pure white fangs. Screech, too battered to stand, scooted as far back as he could, even if it would only prolong his pain, so he was leaning against the farthest pillar. The were-ham continued its slow, taunting steps, licking its lips. Screech stared desperately into its murky red eyes, hunting for any emergence of Fury there, now that the sky had begun to lighten and morning was so close, but so out of reach, now that he was facing death at the claws of his corrupted loved one, as the were-ham's red eyes flashed with an intent to kill...

"Fury..." His voice broke, and he felt tears begin to form at the corners of his eyes, turning the were-ham's face to a blur of white, russet, and crimson, as he leaned, weak and helpless, against the cold stone of the pillar, "You _can't _do this..."

As he felt the were-ham's rank breath gently ruffle the fur of his face, Screech recalled the moment he first met Fury, and how shy she had been; so afraid of his frantic apologizing for knocking her over. And then, later, when she had begun to warm up to him more, and she let him tag along when she went on patrol late at night and put up with his pestering questions, or let him watch as she cast the nightmares into the night sky from her staff, a flash of crimson against velvet black. And then, not long after they had gotten together, when she had lowered her guard completely and confessed her accursed condition to him, her monthly plague, and he had assured her that it didn't matter to him, because he knew what kind of ham she was in her heart...her tearful smile on that day was one of his favorite memories of her.

But his absolute favorite memory of her, the one that stood out vibrant and colorful in his memory, was when he had read her his carefully crafted poem, and she had smiled so brightly her laughter like a tinkling bell, as she accepted the parchment and framed it, claiming that she'd always treasure it...

Screech's eyes widened. The _poem_.

The very basis of their love; the words that had ultimately brought them together, so many months ago.

Those were the words he needed to break through the shadow of the were-ham's curse. The strongest words he had; the words that continued to echo in his heart, cherished and resonant.

A newfound confidence surging through his heart, Screech wiped the tears from his eyes, stared defiantly into the blood-crazed eyed of the were-ham with his own resolute cerulean, and he spoke, voice powerful and unbroken, the were-ham listening with alert ears as it halted only a few inches away from capturing its prey, the pair illuminated by the light of the falling full moon,

"_Since the day that we first met,when I ran into you, I knew that you were special, and I hoped you thought I was too..."_

* * *

The dust cleared, and the ham-hams stared wide-eyed at the aftermath of the power clash between Steel and Hamtaro.

The victor stood panting heavily, the tip of his weapon touching the stone ground, energy completely spent. His limbs were trembling, ears drooping slightly, and his eyes were half-open, but there was a gleam of triumph in his eyes and in the small smile that had claimed his face, despite the toll that the final attack had taken on him.

The loser had fallen to his knees, weapon knocked from his paw and laying at the feet of the victor, the prize of the battle. He too, was breathing deep and ragged, fur mussed, eyes drained of luster and limbs shaking uncontrollably, devoid of all strength and power.

It was over.

Boss voice was the first one heard, in the silence the aftermath had brought.

"Alright, Hamtaro!!!"

The orange-furred hero felt an overwhelming feeling of relief claim his body, though he refused to give in to his screaming muscles and just collapse. He focused his gaze on Steel's scepter, which now lay useless at his feet. He picked it up in one paw, and, as he touched the wood, the Stone of Slumber began to glow an ethereal, bright shade of blue once again. The ultimate attack from the Staff of Dreams had purified the Stone, and brought it back to its rightful state. He held it firmly in one paw, staff in the other, and then turned his solid brown gaze onto the defeated form of Steel, who was struggling not to fall over from exhaustion, azure eyes enraged that he had failed.

Steel's reign of nightmares was over.

Hamtaro took one quivering step forward toward the fallen villain, voice tentative as he said, breaking through the silence, "Steel..."

The iron-furred ham refused to look at him. His face was twisted in rage, but he was too drained to do anything other than grimace. Glaring heatedly at the stone ground of the bridge, the villain spat, words venomous but shaky, "Don't patronize me, _hero_. You'll never understand my reasons, and I have no reason to tell you. Get it over with. You have me in your grasp. End it - at least then the job that was begun four years ago will have been completed!" His voice twisted into a horrible snarl, paws forming fists against the stone.

Hamtaro's eyes widened at the intensity, and meaning, behind Steel's words. "Steel...I'm not going to..." His voice softened, and he stared hard at Steel, and, beyond the exhaustion, the rage, and the disappointment, he could see the other emotion that had claimed Steel's heart, and had been hidden there, all along; pain.

Hamtaro smiled faintly. "Every ham deserves a second chance."

Steel scoffed and hissed, "Spare me, you _fool_! Just do it - you've already beaten me, and if you don't kill me now, I'll _never _stop on my quest for revenge! I'll just heal, and wait for a new opportunity! This is the only way, and if you don't do it now, you'll _regret _it! I will never, _ever _stop!"

And that was too much for the princess to bear any longer.

"Stop!"

The ham-hams watched in awe as the bedraggled princess ran forward, tears spilling down her pale white cheeks, golden fur flowing behind her as she went. Hamtaro whirled around in surprise, and even Steel raised his wide azure eyes to see the princess as she stopped at the middle of the bridge, paws placed over her heart in a hopeful fashion, the emotions she kept bottled up inside and hidden in secret for years now playing across her face. The memories she had cherished rushed to her mind, and she knew that now was the time to reveal the past.

Hamorette's heart-wrenching voice struck the lightening sky and rang out toward the fading stars as she revealed the truth,

"_Soren_!"

* * *

**CFB:** DUNDUNDUN!!!!

Hope you enjoyed! :D Things are winding down, now, and all remaining secrets will be revealed next chapter.

The idea **Theta Jones **gave me was Screech's use of the poem he wrote for Fury. It will continue on in the next chapter! Stay tuned!


	19. Apologetic Sunrise

**CFB:** Ah, and we near the close of Rain of Nightmares....*sniff*....WHY DOES IT HAVE TO END?!?!?!?!?!?!

**This time:** You'll find out!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hamtaro or any of its characters. I own all concepts and characters presented in this story not related to the original Hamtaro franchise.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 17:** _Apologetic Sunrise_

"Soren?" Hamtaro echoed quietly, his brown eyes wide.

"Soren?" The ham-hams repeated, exchanging confused, but stunned glances.

A tense silence enveloped the bridge like a fog, sending chills slithering up the ham-ham's spines. All eyes settled on the defeated villain, whose visage was just as surprised as theirs, despite the fact that Hamorette's cry had clearly been directed at him. Steel's wide azure eyes, focused solely on the silently crying Hamorette standing just two feet away, quickly recovered from the shock and narrowed into dangerous blue slits, though he was still too weak to do much else, other than grimace fiercely at her.

"I told you before, Hamorette! My name is Steel now! You hear me? Steel! Soren doesn't exist anymore! He died with this castle!"

Hamtaro's gaze flickered between the distraught Hamorette and the panting, completely bedraggled Steel, whose azure eyes were so frigid as they stared hard at the princess that it surprised Hamtaro that Hamorette's whiskers didn't turn into pristine icicles. Brow wrinkled with confusion, there was only one thing the exhausted hero could find appropriate to say.

"….Heke?"

The ham-hams had crept closer after the final attack had been made, so to hear better, and stood a few paces behind Hamorette like a silent support system, though they were listening intently, curious about what had just happened. The battle had been won, but there were still several questions swirling in the air that needed answering. "Why is she calling him 'Soren?'" Cappy asked in a whisper to Maxwell, looking dumbfounded, tugging lightly on the older ham's arm.

Maxwell, eyes glued to the scene, merely shook his head slowly, face solemn. "I don't know, Cappy. But I have a feeling that we're going to find out."

Hamorette's eyes had welled far past the brink now, and crystalline tears spilled silently over her ghostly white cheeks. Voice trembling on the edge of sobs, the princess exclaimed, almost pleadingly, jade eyes a tempest of numerous different emotions, "You claim to be a different ham now, but I see in your eyes that Soren still exists, somewhere deep within your soul! You haven't been able to sever that part of you, and a piece of him remains hidden in your heart!"

Boss tapped a paw to his chin, eyes glazed over, as if trying to remember something. Keeping his voice low, he whispered thoughtfully to the other hams, "Didn't Hamorette say, when we first got to Dreamland, that she and Steel had a past or something like that?"

"Oui, but she never explained what exactly she meant by zat!" Bijou replied with a swift nod of her head. "I zink zat she said she 'as known Steel for a long time, but zat ees all."

"She didn't like, seem too keen to talk about it…" Sandy remembered.

"I don't know about you, hams…" Stan remarked lowly, keeping his eyes on the unfurling scene before them and his arms crossed firmly over his chest, "But I've got a feeling that our pink princess and that rotten old Steel are connected somehow, more than we could have imagined...and I'll bet all the seeds I've got that we're gonna find out why Steel's been doing all these bad things."

Steel let out a cruel, heartless chuckle, dry and mirthless. He spat accusingly, "Don't make me laugh, _princess_. The tears in your eyes almost imply that you actually _care_! Four years ago, you didn't express any concern over whether or not _Soren_ lived or died! You knew that Hamelot's forces were coming to conquer Hamaustere, and you did nothing to stop it! You and your power-hungry, turncoat father let my family die, and allowed my home to be destroyed! Who cares what happened to _Soren_, so long as you could reap the benefits!"

The princess clasped her paws together, as if in prayer, "Please Soren, you must understand - !"

"_Soren_ is dead!" Steel growled, though an almost desperate gleam reached his azure eyes, intensifying every time the name was mentioned.

"Soren, you _have_ to understand!" Princess Hamorette forged on firmly, unwilling to falter. Taking another step forward, though still keeping a distance, she continued, "I was a younger ham then. I had no say in what my father did and didn't do. I didn't know what he had done until after this castle was already in ruins. Besides, had I attempted to stop him, even if I had known what was to happen, he would not have listened to me!"

"Is that explanation supposed to clear your name of blame, princess?" Steel asked, his mock airy tone returning with a vengeance, though it was plain to see that a ripple of fear had plagued his expression for a brief moment, like a fleeting cloud. "Even if you didn't have an actual paw in the destruction of my home, you are just as traitorous as that devious father of yours! Wanting nothing but power and wealth, and throwing friendships and alliances aside! Well, if _Soren_ meant so much to you, why did you give _him_ up for dead so easily?"

"Father said that all had perished in the attack!" Hamorette replied, her voice quivering slightly, as if it were a sensitive topic for her to speak of. "Please understand me, Soren, I had no reason to believe otherwise! I...I flew over the wreckage on a scouting dove with father...he showed me that there was no one remaining!"

Hamtaro listened to the exchange between the defeated villain and the desperate princess with confusion etched into ever crevice of his weary face. The other hams were equally as befuddled as he, as if there were one final piece to a thousand piece puzzle that had yet to be secured in its rightful place, and, once placed in its rightful home, would reveal the picture that had been eluding them this whole time. As he listened to Steel and Hamorette's heated words, the brown-eyed ham recalled earlier that night, when they had been trooping through the dense, dark woods and had come upon the ruins of Hamaustere village, where hundreds had perished, and someham had asked how it had come to such a state of devastation…

"_It's a long story…"_ Screech, Sprint, and Joy had replied in perfect unison, as if trained to do so. And Hamtaro had a feeling that they were going to get a chance to hear the long story, what those three had been hiding from them earlier, from these two hams that were almost certainly connected to it, based on what they were alluding to.

"_Soren _would have gone to look for _you_!" Steel hissed darkly. "Then again, King Strom would have never let _your _father suffer! He would have never stood idly by, while _Dreamland _was destroyed! He would have stood by your father, and aided him when he needed it, but yours abandoned him in a time of dire need, and let him die!"

Hamorette's jade eyes continued streaming tears as she pleaded, paws now placed over her thundering heart, "Soren, I had no paw in the actions of my father, and I've never once condoned what he did by abandoning Hamaustere! My father is a king who has always been concerned with power and wealth, I will admit that! But _I_ am not the same as my father! I would have never abandoned you, had it been me in my father's place!"

"But you _did_!" Steel snarled. "You gave me up for dead! You let Hamaustere stand a hollow, empty shell of its former glory and let it rot! You did nothing to amend the wrongs!"

Steel's accusing words rang out across the bridge like a tolling bell, daunting and chilling. The ham-hams felt their fur stand on end, as if a cold shadow had engulfed them. Hamorette continued to flinch as Steel ranted at her, as if the words physically stung her.

"Princess, what is he talking about?" Pashmina, who had grown antsy due to the hostility in Steel's voice, could no longer hold back her curiosity. Eyes shining with concern, she looked to the princess questioningly, keeping her voice level and gentle despite her anxiousness. The other hams, just as curious, gave the princess the same quizzical look, wanting answers to the questions that had been looming all along, and waiting to see all the cards laid out on the table for all to see. "How do you know him, and what did your father do?"

Steel's glacial gaze shifted to the ham-hams and he sneered darkly, "Didn't she tell you? Your beloved princess and I _grew_ _up_ together! We were the best of _pals_! Why, we played together at this very castle"

"Soren, please…!" Hamorette said softly, flinching, as if Steel's words brought her physical pain.

Steel went on, unwavering, though his voice increased in anger and malice as he went on, emphasizing his words with sarcasm and lacing them with hatred, "And then there came a time when war was a common occurrence. The extremely powerful kingdom of Hamelot had its eyes set on Dreamland and Hamaustere as potential targets. King Strom of Hamaustere and King Hamvil of Dreamland had been in an alliance for some time, and were also good _chums_. Dreamland had always been one to strike first, and deal with problems swiftly, while Hamaustere preferred to wait and attack once a plan had been developed. Hamvil did not listen to Strom, and when Hamelot moved on to surprise attack Hamaustere…"

"Soren, please, you must listen to me…!"

Steel ignored Hamorette's tearful attempts to interject, "…King Hamvil watched as Hamelot marched into Hamaustere and overwhelmed the knights, killing hundreds of innocent hams, including his friend King Strom and all but _one_ of the royal family! And then, while Hamelot's forces were resting after their siege on Hamaustere, Hamvil marched his Dreamland knights into Hamelot and conquered it, without a shred of remorse for what happened to his best friend! Hundreds of lives _lost_, all for the sake of _power_!"

The ham-hams had been listening, almost spellbound, to the words Steel spoke and found themselves completely awestruck, a numb sensation seizing them all in a chilling wave. They looked to Hamorette with wide eyes, disbelief present on each whiskered face, but her expression, of heartbreak mixed with regret, seemed only to affirm what Steel had said. "Is that….true?" Oxnard asked in a small voice, concerned eyes flashing to the distressed princess.

"Did…did all of that really _happen_?" Maxwell queried. "My…my book said nothing about this, in all of Dreamland's history…no records in the library even touched on the subject…"

Hamorette sighed grievously, but nodded her head in a slow, morose motion. Now that the words had been spoken aloud, a resonant truth, there was no possible way that she could deny it, or skirt around the issue any longer. Jade eyes downcast, the royal replied, "Due to the…implications of the event, and what light was shed on my father for his paw in the matter…the incident has been mostly stricken from Dreamland's records…but what…what he claims _is_ true."

A collective gasp rippled through the ham-hams, eye growing wider and paws flying over gaping mouths. They exchanged horrified, stunned glances, eyes shining with concern mixed with lingering disbelief. How could it be true? Now, what Steel had been shouting throughout his battle with Hamtaro made perfect sense, like a riddle had been solved, though it seemed to make so many other prior assumptions unravel into nothing. The betrayal he spoke of, the vengeance he sought…now, his motives were clear, illuminated by the light of the sinking moon.

Hamtaro, mind boggled, couldn't help but be bothered by one tidbit of what Steel had said…

"…_all but _one_ of the royal family…"_

"Who….who survived?" He asked, turning his worried, but imploring brown eyes onto the fatigued villain.

A tense silence fell, and all eyes turned to stare at the iron-furred ham, awaiting an answer. Hamorette bit her lip and cast her eyes to the bridge beneath her feet, as if ashamed. Steel centered his azure eyes on the orange-furred ham that had defeated him, irises steely and flashing with a silently seething anger. And then, accentuating each word through gritted teeth, Steel replied, venom almost visibly dripping from his incisors, "It was the young prince who survived. Prince…_Soren_. He watched his family die, and waited years for the moment where he could claim revenge on those responsible for the fall of his home and the murder of his family! Only to have all his dreams be reduced to nothing, _again_!"

Another chilling pause fell across the bridge, as the ham-hams absorbed Steel's words and many realized instantly what he was implying, though they thought that voicing it aloud would only make it that much more haunting and real. Maxwell's voice fell to a whisper as he asked, voicing aloud the suspicions and shattering any hope that it was all just a lie,

"…And _you're_ Prince Soren, aren't you, Steel?"

Steel glowered at them, and replied in a low growl, voice burning like hellfire, "…I _was_."

Hamtaro's jaw fell open in shock. Steel…was a _prince_. The last remaining member of a royal family that had been slaughtered in the days of the wars between the hamster kingdoms. It was hard to imagine Steel as anything other than a merciless, murderous villain, bent on destroying peace for hamsters all over the world. To have his past thrust into the light like this was almost too much for Hamtaro's overheated brain to take. But as he turned his stunned brown eyes back to the fallen tyrant, he saw that gleam in his dimmed azure eyes; a swirling turmoil in the murky blue, masked by years of hatred and vengeful aspirations, but still there, buried deep, now brought to the surface as his dreams came crashing down like a dying tsunami.

As he observed Steel, with this new knowledge, Hamtaro could see the two sides of the iron-furred ham, clear and distinct. Steel; the vengeful, hateful side born from hatred that had consumed his heart, after his home and family had been brutally killed. And then, there was Soren; the side of a carefree, innocent prince, who had suffered a pain so intense he had almost willingly allowed his heart to be corrupted, though a piece of him remained within the newer, more wicked persona, still overcome with grief and pain over his immense loss. The sadness in Steel's eyes was what remained of Prince Soren.

If only there were a way....to banish the steel in his heart, and bring back the ham he used to be.

"And not only were my dreams _crushed_..." Steel went on venomously, words biting, as he at last addressed himself as his past, now overshadowed identity of Prince Soren. "My heart was broken into tiny, irreparable pieces by the one_ I _cared for most! My father and the traitorous King Hamvil had made an arrangement, that their two children would wed when they reached a suitable age. And King Hamvil's _daughter_ quickly became my closest companion...until she _abandoned _me! Until she let her father destroy my home, and until she gave me up for _dead_!"

The silence that engulfed them was tense and thick with varied, intense emotions.

"_That _is why I became Steel!" Steel bellowed into the dark grey sky of early morn. "That is why I seek vengeance on the world! Because no one understands the pain I've suffered, the humiliation I've felt, and the loss that I've endured! I _didn't _deserve it! My family and those innocent villagers didn't deserve it! And _every _ham should know how it feels to be _abandoned_! How it feels to have the one you love turn their back on you, and leave you to wallow in your misery, alone, until you have no choice but to succumb to the darkness that surrounds you! Until you have no choice but to give up hope in the light, and surrender to evil!"

"Please, Soren!" Hamorette implored once more once his tirade was finished, unable to bear the shame that had amounted on her shoulders, jade eyes still shining with fresh tears, a sign that her heart was also in less-than-perfect shape because of the past events being dredged up. "Words cannot express my regret over what happened to you! You were my dearest friend, and I still cherish the memories of our days together, to this very day! Why....why..."

She fell to her knees, cradling her face in her paws. "Why can't you see...how _sorry _I am?"

Steel's expression morphed from one of bitterness and hatred to one of utter disbelief. It was as if he were unable to comprehend what Hamorette had said. "_Wh-what?_" He spluttered weakly, azure eyes round in surprise and paws still trembling, as his strength continued to fail him.

Hamorette begged, tears spilling, words resonant, meaningful, and as heartfelt as she could make them with her emotions already tattered, "Every day, Soren, I regret what happened to you. Every day, I think about the times when we were young hams, and how happy and cheerful we were, and it fills my heart with joy! Every day, I remember you as you were, all those years ago, and I _miss _you - I miss the laughter, and all of the fun we had! And when I saw you become Steel, it felt as if my heart had split in two...I was so happy to see you alive, but so hurt to see that you thirsted only for vengeance, when I longed for my dear friend back! I -" She broke off, bottom lip trembling, jade eyes blurred with more crystal tears that spilled over porcelain-white cheeks. Words, in the tense situation, were hard to come by.

The ham-hams watched, spellbound, as the princess poured her heart out on the stone.

"Soren, words can _never _express how sorry I am! If I could go back and change the past, I would do everything in my power to prevent your pain, and the suffering that you've gone through! But I can't change what happened, and all I can offer you is my apology. That's all I have left to give you, but I mean it with every ounce of my soul. And...please, Soren...even if we can never go back to how things were, or erase the past that has plagued both of us...all I want is to express my apology, from the bottom of my heart, and hope that you..._Soren_....can forgive me. For _everything_."

Hearing the emotion-packed words tumble from Hamorette's lips completely overwhelmed Steel, and he found his own emotions teetering on the edge of madness and uproar. For years, he had assumed that Hamorette's feelings for him, or any attachment she had held on to, would have been let go immediately after she had thought him dead. But to hear that she had been hurt as well...and had been hoping to reunite with her childhood friend, the one from the days of the laughter that had rang about the now-ruined gardens. How she had regretted his pain...he had thought that she had abandoned all of that, along with him. He had assumed that the princess's heart was cold, and she had followed in her father's pawsteps...

Was it possible...possible that he was _wrong_? How, how could he be wrong?! With his face twisted into a menacing snarl, he glared with glacial azure eyes at the princess, searching her expression for the carelessness and insincerity he had believed of her, but all he saw was tearful, mournful jade eyes, and a pleading face. Flanked by several other faces, all raw with emotion, torn between pity and understanding.

How could they look at him that way? There was no way they could understand how he felt! Those faces, no matter how earnest they looked, were lies...rotten, hollow _lies_! They _had _to be!

"Soren..."

Hamtaro stepped forward, expression transforming from heroic to expectant and friendly, his voice prompting the fallen villain softly. And, in a gentle, heartfelt tone, the orange-furred ham said with every ounce of honesty he had within him, offering a paw forward as a gesture of kinship,

"Every ham deserves a second chance."

Steel was positively flabbergasted, and certain that his ears were deceiving him. After all he had done, causing millions of hamsters torment with his nightmare, murdering two hams within minutes of each other, and trying to kill this group of brave heroes...and this foolish, stupid hamster was offering him a paw? Offering him another chance, as if he hadn't already tread past the point of no return? How idiotic could this foolhardy, bumbling little hero possibly be? He was no better than that princess, kneeling and begging for his forgiveness, and offering her dearest wishes for his return to what had once been. How...how senselessly naive...how...heart-wrenchingly _kind_...

It was too much for his frigid heart to take.

"You..." He muttered, azure eyes narrowing and trying to fend back the tears that had been threatening to spill for years. "You...._fools_. You...you will _never _understand."

_Whack_!

Steel crumpled, falling against the cold stone of the bridge with a dull thud, unconscious. Behind him stood Boss, and the ham-hams looked to the older ham in surprise. He had crept up behind Steel, and they had all been too absorbed in what the defeated ham had been saying to notice, and he had struck the iron-furred ham with a dislodged stone. Boss shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly, answering their questioning gazes with an answer of,

"Sorry about that, princess...hams. I think Steel just needs a _little _rest....to cool his mind off and all, before it explodes..."

Hamtaro and Hamorette released the breaths they hadn't even realized they'd been holding. A calm settled over the bridge, like some great, evil shadow had passed. With a weary sigh, and under the watchful eyes of the ham-hams, Princess Hamorette slowly and cautiously approached the unconscious form of Steel. As he slept, his twisted grimace had relaxed and, for the first time since they'd encountered him, Steel looked serene, his frigid eyes closed and snarl gone. A rueful, melancholy smile claimed Hamorette's lips, though her eyes remained saddened and with a few remnants of tears. Carefully, she brushed her paw against Steel's cheek, eyes distant, as if recalling simpler times.

Clearing her throat, the royal stepped back and remarked, "I know it is difficult for you hams to imagine, but he truly was a carefree ham, in different times. And I hope that, thanks to what you hams have done, my old friend Soren can return and all will be well again. At least, for now, the darkness in his heart has relented, and that is a victory in and of itself..."

She turned her smile to the congregated ham-hams, and then centered her greateful jade gaze onto Hamtaro. "I can never thank you ham-hams enough for what you have done. Thanks to you, the tyranny Steel brought upon the world has ended, and the minds of hamsters everywhere are safe once more in slumber. Is there anything I can do to repay your actions?"

"Like Hamtaro said before, princess...it's our pleasure!" Pashmina replied cheerfully, recovered from her earlier fright. Penelope, beside her, squeaked brightly, "Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"You don't have to do anything!" Oxnard added with a shy chuckle. "We were, uh, happy to help."

Hamtaro had the last word. Beaming his usual, semi-lopsided grin, the orange-furred ham stepped forward, Staff of Dreams in paw, and concluded, "True, blue ham-hams always lend a paw to a ham-ham in need! And we were glad to help you, and all of Dreamland, princess!"

Hamorette's tears turned from sorrowful to thankful. It warmed her heart to see these hams, so honest, and so kindhearted...she hadn't thought such levels of goodness and loyalty were possible, but this brave batch of hamsters had shattered all of her cynicism on the matter. Those cherished qualities, that made these hams stand heads above other hams, were truly what made them the brave heroes she had held her hopes in, and they had above and beyond exceeded her expectations for them. Standing in the faint grey light of pending dawn, they looked like any ordinary group of hamsters...but they had shown her, through pure trust and belief, that they were so much more than that, and for that she was forever grateful.

"Maybe there is one more thing you can do for us, princess..." Stan considered, tapping a paw to his chin, though a playful smile spread across his face.

"Anything!" The princess professed.

Giggling, Sandy grabbed Maxwell's paw with an affectionate squeeze and slung her other arm over her twin's shoulder, spirits revived, and she exclaimed with a jubilant smile, "Get us outta here and back to _Dreamland_! Like, pronto!"

* * *

Upon hearing the familiar, heartfelt words pass Screech's lips, the were-ham froze dead in its tracks, growls ceasing and jaws snapping shut in surprise, releasing a sharp 'click' noise. Crimson eyes widened until they resembled two round ruby gemstones, and moonstruck, silvery fur stood on end, ears perking forward, as if making sure that it had heard correctly. Clearly, the beast had been affected by the poem, as Screech had aimed. Screech's heart skipped a beat, and he felt the wild hope soar inside his chest, bringing light back into his ice-blue eyes.

Light had at last begun to shine through the darkness, parting the black clouds of despair and making way for hope to burst forth.

With that faith now surging through his veins, Screech braced his muscles against the pillar, stared straight into the crimson orbs of the were-ham, and continued, voice unwavering and proud as it struck the oncoming dawn, "_I am kind of dumb, and you're pretty smart…"_

The were-ham let out a garbled cry, as if the words physically pained it. Its eyes clamped shut tightly, and it took a few short steps backward, tossing its head from side to side as if to loose the words from its head. Its paws had begun to tremble and falter, and the bushy tail it had waved regally in the air was now cowering between its legs, a sign of weakness and fear. The power and brutish nature it had been displaying were breaking down...

The sky was turning lustrous shades of pink and orange with pending dawn.

"_But I know that you + me, equals what is in my heart._.."

The were-ham let out an anguished howl, shakier than its previous howl's of triumph, and, in a frenzy of anger and struggling despair, it lurched forward, so it was nose to nose with Screech, growling, crimson eyes narrowed, though a dull whine was escaping from its lips and its paws continued to tremble uncertainly, as if it were torn between ripping Screech limb from limb and letting him go. In the murky depths of its eyes, Screech could see pain, sorrow, and he felt as if he were casting the shadow of Fury's curse away, and he knew that as he spoke the words, from deep in his heart, he would at last break through the darkness that surrounded Fury...all he had to do was stare into those depths of bloody crimson, and complete the poem that had bound him to Fury for eternity. And he found that as he spoke, the emotions that welled up inside of him made tears spring into his eyes, as he could not deny the effect the poem had on him as well,

"_Until the end of time, or whenever our time ends...our bond will never falter, for it can only extend._"

As the final words were carried to the were-ham's ears on the gentle summer wind, the gold-orange sun at last peeked over the horizon and bathed the decaying garden in the warmth of morning summer's glow.

The were-ham's fur shone orange as the sunlight hit it, and it let out a long, snarl-edged whine, rearing back and away from Screech as if it had been burned. The sudden brilliance of the light startled Screech, and he squeezed his eyes shut, holding a paw up over his face to shield himself further. He could hear the were-ham let out a desperate, feral howl that slowly faded away into the morning, and what sounded like a few grunts of pain, and then, silence. Hesitantly, the knight lowered his paws and opened his eyes a sliver, to see what had happened. And what he saw there made his ice-blue eyes shoot open in alarm and a sudden, thrilled excitement.

In the were-ham's place stood a bedraggled, mussed Fury, her grey eyes wide. She was staring at her paws in shock, and then turned her incredulous gaze on the destroyed gardens, taking in the sunlit surroundings with a mixture of confusion and horror. Her fur was ruffled, stained with dirt, and she had few scratches here and there marring her russet and white fur, but as Screech looked eagerly at the hamgirl's eyes, he saw that the familiar twinkle had returned to them - the dull, lackluster effect of Steel's mind control was gone, and he saw the real, true Fury had returned, her eyes bright and cheerful, with that faint glimmer of hidden feistiness that had originally drawn him to her.

Fury finally turned her wide grey eyes to look at the panting, beaten, but relieved and smiling Screech, still leaning up against the pillar, and she seemed startled to see him there, but, after a moment, seemed to realize what had happened, grasping the situation within seconds. Her clear eyes welled instantly with fresh, earnest tears, and she rushed forward, throwing herself on Screech and wrapping him in a fierce, meaningful embrace. He let out a surprised grunt of pain, but couldn't wipe the smile from his face as the warmth he had longed for filled his heart again.

"I came back..." She whispered tearfully against the fur of his neck.

Screech sighed contentedly, and wrapped his arms comfortably around Fury as well, closing his eyes and reveling in the moment. Still grinning, but trying to ignore the pain that was assaulting his muscles, the knight replied,

"...You _always _do."

* * *

Once Boss had slung an unconscious Steel over his shoulder like a sack of acorns, the ham-hams turned their attention to the matters that remained to be dealt with, in the aftermath of the climactic battle. As they were making sure they still had all their supplies, placed the Stone of Slumber safely in Hamtaro's pack, and had located Hamtaro's missing sword that had been knocked askew in the battle with Steel, Cappy remembered something, and his jaw fell open in horror.

"Nikolai!"

As one group, the ham-hams recalled the hench-ham's sacrifice from earlier that evening, dropped whatever it was they had been doing, and ran toward the small body of little Nikolai, laying up against the ledge of the bridge, still and silent. In the frenzy of battle, they hadn't had a chance to approach him yet, and a somber, mournful silence claimed the group as they hovered around the tiny ham, tears stinging at their eyes at the sight of such a bright life, lost in such few, but valiant moments. The early morning breeze ruffled his charred fur gently, and now, in the golden glow of sunrise, they could see that his hat was now full of holes and the green velvet had been scorched beyond repair. His hazel eyes were shut loosely, as if he were merely asleep.

"We….we should bring him back to his family…" Maxwell said in a quiet voice, breaking the grim silence. Sandy clutched as his paw, and he squeezed back reassuringly.

Oxnard, on the verge of blubbering, added, tears threatening to course down his cheeks, "That's probably what his parents would have wanted. Oh...I don't what to think about how sad they're going to be! They're such nice hams...and Nikolai didn't...didn't deserve this..."

"And after that, we have to go find Joy..." Pashmina murmured mournfully, brushing tears from her eyes, as the image of the gondenrod-furred ham plummeting over the side of the bridge played again in her memory.

No ham made the move toward the tiny body. They exchanged sad, worried glances instead, tears already streaming down Pashmina and Bijou's ashen cheeks, Penelope crying quietly beside them, as it had been the first time she had witnessed death. None of them wanted to approach him, for that would only make the situation more real; more final than they had even dared to acknowledge so far. By touching his cold fur, or a cold paw, or even grazing what remained of his oversized green hat, it would make all fragile false hopes they clung to cave in around them, and solidify his unfortunate fate.

Hamtaro stepped forward, expression solemn. After the little ham's efforts in the battle and valiant change of heart, despite the cost he had ultimately paid, the hero had developed a profound respect for the former hench-ham. And he figured that the least he could do for Nikolai was to carry him back home, to the beautiful land in the clouds, where he would receive a proper hero's burial, and where he was certain to get a spot in the Chamber of Peaceful Rest. Hamtaro had not been the only hero, and he wanted to make sure that Nikolai at last received the recognition he had hungered for.

Hamtaro placed a paw to Nikolai's shoulder, and abruptly pulled it back, as if he had been burned. Brown eyes wide with wild hope, the hero exclaimed,

"He's...._warm_!"

As if on cue, there was a cough, and Nikolai spluttered and wheezed, dust clogged in his throat, hazel eyes shooting open wide and sitting up so fast that he not only made every ham-ham jump in total shock, he smacked Hamtaro square in the face with his head and the startled hero had to stagger backwards, clutching his nose in pain and letting out a grunt of surprise as his backside hit the stone. The hench-ham, fur singed and hat in tatters, looked around at all of the stunned, awestruck faces surrounding him and his ashy cheeks turned fire-engine red, his limbs shaking slightly. A silence ensued, thick, consuming each and every ham remaining on the bridge, as the ham-hams stared at Nikolai in utter disbelief and he stared right back, watery hazel eyes a mixture of confusion and fear.

At last, Nikolai could take the silence no longer. ".....What?" He asked meekly, shrinking away from the gaping ham-hams and coughing more dust out into his paw.

"_Nikolai_!!!!" The ham-hams exclaimed in unison, crowding even closer to the injured ham, nearly making the little-ham jump clean out of his mussed tan fur. Eyes sparkling with thrilled excitement, the ham-hams chorused, "You're _alive_!"

Nikolai just nodded slightly, cheeks still burning. "Uh-huh..." He replied shyly. "I, er...thought I was a goner...but I, uh....guess I'm a little tougher than I thought?" He finished unsurely, rubbing at a few scrapes with his paws and wincing as he hit the tender flesh. He was pretty banged-up, but definitely alive.

"I'll say!" Hamtaro replied as he hauled himself to his feet, voice somewhat muffled and a bit nasal as he continued to clutch his wounded nose, though he turned friendly brown eyes to the little hamster. "Why, you're tougher than a whole _army _of hamsters! What you did was really remarkable, Nikolai! And without you, we would have never managed to defeat Steel! You really are a brave ham-ham!"

Nikolai's hazel eyes widened, and a new light began to shine in their clear hazel depths. "Brave...._me_?" He asked in disbelief, and his blush deepened into and even darker shade of scarlet, though a brilliant smile had spread across his worn face, pleased to receive the praise he had wanted for so long. Fiddling nervously with his paws, but still grinning, he mumbled, "I've...never been called..._never_..."

And then, he absorbed another piece of information, stared at Hamtaro in surprise, and shrieked, wheezy voice shooting through two octaves, "Wait, did you say you defeated Steel?!?!?!"

Boss stepped forward and showed the little hamster the unconscious form of steel slung across his back. Winking at the little ham, the gruff field-ham replied, "You bet your hat Steel was beaten! He won't do anything evil, ever again! And we owe a large part of the victory to you, Nikolai! You really are a heroic little ham, and we owe you big time!"

"It's true, Nikolai..." Hamorette stepped forward, and smiled kindly at the little ham, jade eyes sparkling. "You may have chosen the wrong side, but your heart was in the right place in the end. Dreamland is forever in your debt, and your family will surely be pleased once they hear of your heroism. Thank you for lending a paw to Dreamland!"

Nikolai's cheeks continued to burn and he raised a blackened paw to pat the top of his hat. "Aw...it was nothi - _huh_?"

The little ham was surprised when his paw did not touch the soft velvet of his favorite green hat, but, instead his own shaggy fur. Alarmed, he grasped at what remained of his hat and yanked it off his head, staring at it with wide hazel eyes. Gently, he stroked the scorched fabric and poked his paws through the numerous holes that decorated the once vibrant accessory. He appeared more distraught over the loss of his hat then he was over nearly losing his own life.

"My hat...it was my favorite...the one my dad made special for me..." He muttered sadly, ears drooping. Hot tears pooled in his eyes...his most cherished possession was ruined...

Suddenly, he felt something warm encase his head, pulling him out of his personal woe. Startled, he raised both paws to the top of his head, and he felt fabric beneath his paws. Blinking away his tears and staring upward, he saw a green plaid cap now sat firmly where his old hat had, and Cappy, the one whom this new hat had belonged to, was standing next to him, beaming and now hatless.

"It may not be the same, but your dad also made _this _hat! And it suits you, so I'd be honored if you'd keep it, Nikolai!" Cappy expressed, offering his paw to the former hench-ham. "And now, let's get you home, where you belong! Your family's worried sick about you!

Nikolai, overwhelmed, could only let a cheerful grin spread across his face as he grasped Cappy's outstretched paw and let the other ham pull him to his feet. Hazel eyes grateful, he looked around at all of his new friends and said, voice quivering, "Thank you! Everyone! And I can't wait to get back to my family again! I just hope they missed me just as much as I've missed them!"

* * *

With Cappy helping his new hammo Nikolai along, Boss carrying the unconscious Steel, and Bijou and Oxnard helping to support Hamtaro, the ham-hams and Princess Hamorette made it back down to the courtyard with ease, the sun now glowing brighter than before, an orb of brilliant golden-orange atop the mountains in the distance. And, as they'd expected, there, laying in the dewy grass, they found their missing hammos, out cold after their encounter with the were-ham. Sprint and Siren sprawled out on one side of the courtyard, and Panda, Dexter, and Howdy on the other, like sleepy, furry mushrooms.

"Looks like they _did _run into a bit of trouble!" Pashmina commented, as the group fanned out to try and wake their fallen comrades. "Oh, I hope they're okay!"

Within minutes, they had managed to rouse Panda, Dexter, Howdy, and Siren from their reverie. The four ham-hams, bleary-eyed and stiff with sore muscles, took a few moments to absorb their surroundings, until the events of the previous night flooded back into their minds. "_Gadzooks_! Where'd that rascally were-ham go? Why, I was just about to beat it over the head with its own claws, I tell ya!" Howdy hollered, once Oxnard, Cappy, and Nikolai had awoken him.

"Yeah _right_, Howdy!" Dexter rebuked as he sat up and arched his back, feeling the sore muscles there with a wince. "None of us were a match for that monster, not even the Guardian!"

"Hey!" Siren growled defensively, glaring at the bespectacled ham, as Sandy and Stan helped her to her feet, and she coughed up some dist that had become lodged in her lungs. "I tried my hardest. That thing was three times as big as me, at least! Why, we're lucky we landed as many hits as we did..."

"But now it's morning...and it looks like we were out of it for a long while!" Panda commented, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed as the rising sun landed on his dirt-smudged face.

"You were!" Boss replied with a boisterous laugh. "But at least you're _alive_! We were really worried about you, but it's good to see you all okay!"

Dexter, Howdy, and Panda stared at the unconscious figure of Steel in alarm. "Is that...Steel?" Dexter asked nervously, creeping closer and examining the hamster slung so casually across Boss's shoulders. It looked like their arch-nemesis, but it was hard to tell when he wasn't scowling...

"Actually, his name is Soren!" Hamtaro corrected.

"_Prince _Soren!" Bijou added.

Their faces clouded over with confusion, and the other ham-hams, the ones who had seen the entire battle, stifled amused laughter at their friend's bewilderment. "Huh?" Howdy asked blankly.

"It's a long story..."

"Guys! Quick! Come over here!"

Siren's urgent tone alerted the ham-hams to a spot on the courtyard a few feet away, where Sprint still lay against the lush grass, Maxwell, Pashmina, and Siren crowded around him. Concern flashing over every face, the ham-hams bolted over to where the Dreamland Knight lay. He was laying flat against the grass, breathing deeply, paws clenched into tight fists at his sides. A small trickle of blood stained the corner of his mouth, and three long, bright red scratches marred his stomach, turning the pure white fur red and tainting the grass around him with blood. His scarlet eyes were squeezed shut with pain, as he struggled not to succumb to the agony.

"Sprint..." Siren muttered quietly, biting her lip, as she knelt beside him. She had seen his injuries the night before, during the fight with the were-ham, but now it appeared as if he were suffering even worse. Gently, she touched her paw to one of his, but doubted that he even felt it over his injuries.

"Oh, _no_..." Hamorette stepped forward, devastated at seeing one of her favorite knights in such a state - especially after she had already lost Joy, and Screech's condition was unknown, as was Fury's. "Oh, Sprint...Speak, _please_. Are you alright? _Please _tell us that you are alright..."

"Sprint..." Panda murmured.

There was a pause, and Sprint merely continued to breathe deep, eyes clenched shut, tense against the grass. The ham-hams watched, expressions solemn and eyes somber, and waited for the knight to respond somehow - show some sign that he was okay, or that he had heard them...that he wasn't lingering on the brink of death, as they feared. Seconds passed like centuries, until, at last, his body relaxed slightly, his mouth formed a lopsided half-grin, and his crimson eyes fluttered open, the usual, impish gleam in them.

"Relax, kiddies...it's just a couple of scratches..." He joked, though his voice was quieter, looking up at them and chuckling lightly.

"Sprint!" The ham-hams exclaimed joyously, pleased to see the wounded knight in good spirits. Now that they knew he was alright, save for his injuries, Pashmina and Siren quickly retrieved the first-aid kit from Boss's pack and set to work unrolling bandages to dress the knight's wounds, grabbing all the supplies they needed before rushing back to the knight's side to get to work.

"Sprint, we are happy to see that you are okay!" Hamorette professed, kneeling beside the knight's head. "You must have fought bravely in the name of Dreamland to receive such terrible wounds..."

"I'll only be okay once I know that Steel has been vanquished!" Sprint replied, lifting his head and craning his neck to see his friends as Siren pulled out a couple of cleaning swabs to wipe the blood away from Sprint's wounds.

The ham-hams beamed at him, and he realized instantly what that meant. Sighing with relief, he let his head fall back against the comfortable pillow of grass and a lazy smile spread across his face. He shut his red eyes peacefully, and remarked, "Whew, that's a relief! I had faith that you hams could do - _SON OF A MONKEY!!!_!"

His eyes shot open in pain and he sat bolt upright, as the solution in the cleaning swabs sunk into his open wounds, stinging and burning. Siren and Pashmina, frowning, shoved him back down, and he hit his head against the ground with a thunk. "Stay _still_! How do you expect us to clean your wounds if you keep moving around?" Siren chastised, glaring down at him, though her azure eyes still glowed with concern for the red-eyed knight.

"Are you trying to kill me, you crazy hamgirls?! That hurts like _blazes_!"

"This is for your own good, Sprint, so keep your mouth shut and sit still! We'll have you cleaned up in a minute if you behave!"

"Tch....yes _ma'am_s..." The knight grumbled sarcastically, wincing as they continued to tend to his wounds. But he knew better than to try and oppose his 'nurses' lest they decide to _really _hurt him, so he closed his eyes, wincing whenever he felt the sting, and relaxed against the grass as Pashmina and Siren patched him up.

The other ham-hams, relieved to see the knight was well, now focused their minds on the final two tasks that lay ahead before they could depart for Dreamland. Screech and Fury were still absent, leaving the outcome of the battle between the knight and the were-ham in question - the sun had risen, so they knew that the fight was over, as Fury would have transformed back, but everything prior to the sunrise remained a mystery to them and they had to find out what had happened. And then, there was the matter of locating Joy's body, wherever it had fallen...

They didn't have to go very far for answers.

"Hamha, everyone!"

At the sound of the familiar voice, the ham-hams turned to see the triumphant figure of Screech waving cheerfully at them, as he came walking around the side of the castle, looking a bit bruised and battered, but more or less unharmed. The ham-hams, upon seeing him framed in golden sunlight, all smiled and prepared to call out to him, but stopped once they saw that he wasn't alone - walking with him, her paw linked with his, was an equally as beaten and bedraggled Fury, her grey eyes downcast, but lively - proving that she had been broken from Steel's mind-control. But, she appeared a bit nervous, as if she were afraid to look at them. It was almost as if Screech were _dragging _her along with him, trying to get her to confront some fear, while he traipsed along as cheerful as ever.

"We made it!" Screech informed them brightly, showing that all was well. "And it looks like you guys were successful too!"

Within seconds, Screech and Fury had joined the group - Screech beaming at all of them and Fury staring at the ground, fidgeting with hr paws. The ham-hams felt a bit anxious, seeing Fury there, as each time they had encountered her thus far, she had tried to kill them, and now, seeing her restored to her normal state, it was hard to imagine that she had ever been the were-ham. She looked so shy and innocent....hardly like a menacing beast....

"Screech! _And _Fury!" Princess Hamorette broke the silence, stepping forward to wrap both hamsters in a hug, while the ham-hams watched on as bystanders. "How wonderful to see you _both_!" And in her hear, despite its past turmoil, she meant every word.

"I'M SORRY!"

Screech had opened his mouth to reply, and a few of the ham-hams had also wanted to say something, but it was Fury who spoke next, or, rather yelled, as if releasing something she had been bottling inside for a long period of time. Her loud apology echoed across the courtyard, surprising all of the ham-hams and making Fury's cheeks burn a brilliant shade of magenta. Hesitantly, she raised her gaze and blushed even more once she saw the ham-ham's surprised, and questioning expressions, wondering why she had suddenly shouted at them.

"I mean, uh...I'm sorry....for trying to....uh....er..." She stuttered helplessly, struggling to find the proper words to use, grey eyes flashing with worry. After all, how does one apologize for being a were-ham and going completely crazy under the light of the full moon...?

"Trying to eat us?" Howdy supplied, grunting in pain as he received an elbow to the ribs from Dexter.

"What was that for, Four-Eyes? She _did _try and eat us!"

"You could be a bit more _polite _about it, Howdy!" Dexter hissed.

"No, he's right..."

The ham-hams shifted their gaze back to Fury, who was peering around meekly at all of them, looking as if she wanted to shrink into the earth. Screech, however, held her paw tightly and smiled encouragingly at her, acting as her silent support system. Taking a deep breath, she surged forward. "I...I'm so very sorry, ham-hams..." Fury went on earnestly, her grey eyes shining as she looked to each ham in succession. "I would never hurt any of you, under normal circumstances. I...I just can't suppress the wolf, and I do so wish I could...I'm so sorry! If I hurt any of you, I...I'm just....words can't even begin to cover how sorry I am!"

Hamtaro felt a pang of sympathy in his chest for the cursed hamgirl, as she offered them her most sincere apologies. She was a cross between embarrassed, apologetic, and frightened, and he knew that it had taken her a lot of courage to apologize to them for the darkness that consumed her on a monthly basis. And he knew, as he looked into her deep grey eyes, that she meant what she said, and that her hamster side was nothing like the monster that slept within her. And, as he cast glances at all of his friends, he could see that they, too, seemed to sense Fury's sincerity and wouldn't bear a grudge for how she had attacked them.

"The were-ham had me wicked scared, hamgirl, but I know you didn't mean it!" Stan told her, flourishing a grin. "It's not like you can help it!" The other ham-hams nodded in agreement, offering their own smiles.

"We are just glad to zee you free of Steel's mind control!" Bijou added. "And pleased to finally meet ze real you, after all of zis time!"

A wave of relief washed over Fury, and she let out a long, slow sigh. "I'm glad to meet you all as well, and I'm sorry for anything I did to you while under Steel's control..." However, the relaxation was short-lived as she asked, suddenly very serious, eyes hazy with an urgent concern, "I didn't...I didn't _bite _anyham, did I?"

"Nope, but you sure as heke got your claws into me, Fury!" Sprint jested with a joking grin, not meaning any harm, as Siren and Pashmina helped him sit up, so he could participate in the conversation. His stomach lacerations had been bound by fresh, clean white bandages, tied just tight enough that no blood could seep through, and they had cleaned his fur enough so no traces of crimson, other than his eyes, were visible. "You've got a doozy of a right hook there!"

Fury gasped loudly as she saw the bandages, Screech appearing alarmed as well. They rushed over to their injured hammo, eyes imploring and worried, and Fury immediately began apologizing fervently, bowing her head frantically and clasping her paws in front of her, as if in prayer, "Oh, Sprint! I am _soooo _sorry! I can't believe I did this! Oh, can you ever forgive me? I'll do anything to make it up to you!"

Hamtaro and Bijou exchanged a mildly amused look. Fury certainly was an...apologetic ham, to say the least. And pretty persistent, too.

Sprint laughed, and, carefully, patted Fury on the shoulder with his paw. Laughter shone in his bright red eyes, as he said, "Fury, _relax_. I know you didn't mean it. I'll heal well enough...but...as for making it up to me..." Teasingly, he tapped his chin with thought, before proclaiming dramatically, "You can name your firstborn child _Sprint Two_!"

There was a pause. Fury's face had frozen into an expression of horror mixed with disbelief, as if wondering whether or not Sprint meant what he said, but her boyham was unamused. ".....No." Screech deadpanned, arching a brow at Sprint, as if to ask if he were being serious.

Sprint grinned at his brother in knighthood. "Good to see you too, Screech."

"Glad you're alive, pal!" Screech resumed smiling, and the hamigos clasped their paws together, with Fury, Hamorette, Nikolai, and the ham-hams smiling.

But the smiles were short-lived, as Fury looked around with bright grey eyes at each of the ham-ham's faces, as if looking for someham in particular. After sending a sweeping glance over the entire courtyard, her brow furrowed in confusion and she asked, expectantly, "Where's Joy?"

A silence settled. The ham-hams became downcast, reminded of their fallen comrade, and tears sprang into their eyes. Fury's fur stood on end, and she exchanged a worried glance with Screech. Sprint, Siren, Howdy, Panda, and Dexter as well, looked confused, as they had missed that part of the battle, when Steel had sent Joy careening off the bridge. The looks on the ham-hams's solemn faces were enough to tell those in the dark that the answer to Fury's question was not going to be positive.

"Did something happen?" Screech asked, voice low.

Hamorette nodded, but it was Hamtaro who replied, stepping forward, the Staff of Dreams in paw, "She....she's gone. Steel..." There was no need for him to say any more.

Fury's grey eyes widened, and fell on the Staff of Dreams, silently trying to process the information as Screech slung a comforting arm around her shoulder. Siren, Panda, Howdy, and Dexter exchanged looks of alarm and sudden sorrow, while Sprint cast his crimson eyes to the ground. There was a long silence, as each of the hamsters took a moment to remember their goldenrod-furred ham, and how valiantly she had fought for the light and the power of dreams...

"I'll never forget her..." Fury, tears now slipping down her cheeks, said softly, fondly remembering her hamigo.

"None of us will!" Sandy piped up, as she had considered Joy a good hammo as well.

Hamorette was about to speak, when a faint fluttering sound, accompanied with a flurry of shadows flying over their heads, momentarily blocking the sunlight. Raising their eyes to the sky and shielding their vision with their paws so they could see better, the ham-hams watched as a procession of snow-white, gossamer doves, in a perfect line, began their descent into the courtyard, just as planned before their attack on Hamaustere. They had come to take the ham-hams back to Dreamland, with their mission accomplished, but sorrow in their hearts for the loss of a friend.

"Look! The doves are here!" Pashmina exclaimed, the cheer in her voice breaking through the somber mood, pointing at the angelic birds with her eyes shining."Now we can get away from this place and back to beautiful Dreamland!"

"We're going to have to double-up to have room for everybody!" Cappy remarked, as the doves landed, one by one, on the glistening grass. Looking to his new hammo with a brilliant grin, Cappy told Nikolai, "You can ride with me, Nik! Do you mind if I call you Nik? Sorry..." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, seeing the bewildered look on Nikolai's face, and explained, "It's not often I can hang out with hamsters my own age! Siren's a bit older, and Penelope's too young..."

Nikolai, understanding the feeling of not quite belonging, just grinned back and replied, "Sure thing..._Cap_."

Cappy beamed, and helped his new hammo up into the saddle of the nearest dove. A hamster who was his age, wasn't a girl, and appreciated a good hat when he saw one...a perfect candidate for a hamigo! They had to go on dangerous adventures more often!

The other ham-hams, breaking off into groups, began to divvy up the doves, seeing who would ride with who, as they were, indeed, now leaving with more passengers than they had arrived with. Boss strapped a still knocked-out Steel onto the back of his dove, while Cappy and Nikolai shared, Pashmina and Penelope shared to give Hamorette her own dove, and Fury and Screech doubled up. Siren agreed to transform into Guardian form and provide the transport for the wounded, and unable to steer Sprint. While Fury located her Staff of Nightmares where she had dropped it the night before, Pashmina and Siren helped Sprint to his feet and helped him walk. Screech and Hamorette talked in low whispers, and the other-hams situated themselves atop their doves. Hamtaro, bruised and tired but still feeling warm and cheerful, looked back at Hamaustere Castle with mixed emotions. It had been a site of loss, adventure, terror, and memories...and now it was time to leave it behind forever, in favor of an end to this journey, and the beginning of so many others he could feel looming on the horizon.

They were just about to leave, Siren getting ready to transform and half the hams ready for take-off, when a voice, cheerful and bright as a bell, called to them from across the courtyard.

"Room for one more?"

The ham-hams, stunned and startled, whirled around, whether they were atop their doves or on the ground, in perfect unison to see who had spoken. There, sopping wet but grinning brighter than the sun overhead, amber eyes twinkling, and carnation-bandana damp and dripping on the grass, was Joy, leaning on a sturdy twig for support and assistance walking, but appearing otherwise unharmed, though she kept one arm delicately curved, and it seemed at an awkward angle. But no matter how soaked she was, the brightness of her smile could not be dampened.

"You weren't thinking of leaving _without _me, were you?" The Protector of Slumber teased.

"Joy!" Fury exclaimed, weary grey eyes thrilled, the other ham-hams echoing her with their own excited proclamations of, "Joy!" and "You're alive _too_!"

"Yep-P!" Joy nodded cheerfully. "A little waterlogged, but more or less a-okay!"

The ham-hams, sliding off their doves and dropping whatever they had been doing, rushed up, Fury limping with help from Screech and Sprint using Pashmina as a crutch, to the drenched Protector of Slumber, practically shaking from happiness. "I'm so glad to see you're okay, Joy!" Fury murmured as she enveloped her best hamigo in a gentle hug, so not to aggravate either of their injuries. "I don't know what I would do without you!"

"And I'm glad to see you back, Fury!" Joy replied sincerely, amber eyes gleaming, giving her hamigo's paws a squeeze with her own. "You had us all so worried, but now I'm so happy that everything's okay!"

"Nightmares and dreams, together again!"

"And better than _ever_!"

There was a moment for some grateful embraces and happy, joyous words were exchanged, but curiosity could not be denied for very long. "How could you have survived that fall?" Boss asked curiously, beaming at the goldenrod-furred ham. "I mean, I'm glad to se you here and all, but _how_?!"

"We all thought you were a goner!" Cappy added, Nikolai bobbing his head as well.

Joy winked. "I'll admit, _I _thought I was done for too! But, luckily enough for me, that bridge we were on is directly above a _pond_, of all things! I smacked the surface pretty hard, and I think my arm is broken and my ankle must be sprained, _and _my head is _throbbing_, but I managed to swim to the side and find this walking stick...though I would like to trade it for my staff, if I could, Hamtaro..."

Hamtaro, with a start, replied, "Oh, of course!" He swapped out her makeshift crutch with the Staff of Dreams, and she smiled, breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"You know, your staff was in very capable paws, Joy..." Hamorette remarked wryly.

Joy appeared intrigued. "Oh?" She asked, looking a bit confused. "I always thought..."

"So did I!" The princess agreed with a bright grin. "But Hamtaro proved me wrong. He harnessed the true power of dreams and ended Steel's reign of nightmares. Now, the hamster world will be at peace again!"

A look of awe on her face, Joy turned to Hamtaro and, beaming, said, "You truly are a hero, Hamtaro! Why, I sensed it that day in the Chamber of Peaceful Rest, that you had a hero resting inside of you, and I was right! Thank you so much for all of your help!" She then turned her gaze to the other ham-hams, and her gaze softened to one of heartfelt appreciation. "I can see now that Steel would have never been defeated without you!"

Hamtaro blushed crimson, not used to the praise, but Bijou held onto his arm as assurance. "You shoulda seen it!" Oxnard said, eyes gleaming. "It was awesome! There was a bright light, and Hamtaro was yelling all this heroic stuff...it was right out of an adventure book!"

"Totally heroism at its finest!" Sandy added.

Sheepishly, Hamtaro rubbed the back of his head as he handed the Staff of Dreams back to Joy, his cheeks glowing. "Aw, shucks...."

Siren, Panda, Dexter, Sprint, and Howdy exchanged a look of disappointment blended with frustration, having been the only hams to not see _any _of the action against Steel, only minimal (and painful) parts of the fight against the were-ham, and the only hams not a part of the defeat of both Steel or the were-ham.

"We missed a lot, didn't we?" Panda asked dryly, looking disappointed and dispirited.

"Knocked out before the good stuff happened..." Siren confirmed with a nod and a sigh.

"Well, looks as if we weren't able to be much assistance..." Dexter stated matter-of-factly, not quite as upset over missing the action and danger because it meant that there had been less chance of him getting killed. "Why, we were unconscious in the courtyard all night..."

"Useless as a sack of acorns..." Sprint agreed, wincing as he straightened himself.

"Stupid were-ham..." Howdy cursed, kicking at a pebble by his feet.

Fury's cheeks reddened. "Sorry..." She muttered quietly, looking shyly in their direction.

A silence settled, and then, all every ham could do was laugh, and let out all of their tension as they relished in the fact that they were all united, the dawn had come at last, the power of dreams and nightmares had been restored to their proper owners, and the Stone of Slumber, no longer tainted, rested safely in Hamtaro's pack, where he would put it back in King Hamenon's hands when he returned to Dreamland and the Chamber of Peaceful Rest. Their laughter rang out across the courtyard, shattering the grimness of the Hamaustere ruins, and bringing a defining sense of finality to their perilous adventure. Now, it was time to go home.

Once their laughs had been done and every ham was accounted for, the ham-hams returned, jubilant and chipper, to the waiting doves. Screech helped Fury up into the saddle of their dove, babbling as he did so,

"Oh gosh, I missed you so much Fury! You have no idea how happy I am that you're back! I just knew that the poem would reach you, I just _knew _it! That's how strong our love is Fury...it's like _dynamite_. Can't be stopped, were-ham or not! Gosh, I missed you!"

"That's sweet, Screech....I'm happy to be back!" Fury replied, smiling warmly at the giddy knight.

Siren, transformed into Guardian form with Sprint strapped to her back, looked up at the crimson-eyed knight with a questioning expression. Sprint rolled his eyes, and replied dryly, sensing the Guardian's question, "If you thought he was a moron before, he acts even _dumber _around Fury....and he'll never, ever shut up....trust me, it's gonna be a _fun _fly home..."

The Guardian let out a grunt, and rolled its eyes as well. Sometimes, Siren wondered if she and Screech were really related.

"The poem is really powerful, Fury! And guess what! I wrote you a song too! All in my head! Wanna hear it? I bet you'll like it even better than the poem!" Screech was, by now, talking so loud that every ham was staring at them, amused by the couple's antics.

Fury, painfully aware of all the eyes on her, told her boyham with a gentle smile, "Really Screech, that's okay, you don't have to - "

"OHHHHHH, FURY WITH YOUR EYES SO GREY, WON'T YOU BE MY WIFE TODAY?!"

"That's a lovely song Screech but - wait, _WHAT_?!?!?"

* * *

**CFB:** See? I'm not so evil after all! Oh, and next chapter is just tying up loose ends, mostly romance-related...with Sandy and Maxwell, Hamtaro and Bijou, Sprint and Siren, Fury and Screech, Hamorette and Steel/Soren, and Laura and Roberto....I think that's it.

Can anyone guess the tune to Screech's song? Haha!

Sorry for the delay....I had a semi-pleasant semi-vacation to Boston to visit colleges this past week and was only able to get on the internet at Starbucks, and even then all I could do was check my mail and occasionally send a PM because my dad had to get some work done as well and I'm very easily distracted by tall white chocolate mocha espressos...But I'm back! And RoN will be finished very soon! Then...onto Forests of Eternity!


	20. Fireworks

**CFB:** Last chapter alert! I am saddened by this.... However, it brings us that much closer.....to the SEQUEL! Which I'm very excited for, and you'll soon see why.

_**ATTENTION, ATTENTION!: **_Sandyandmaxwellfanatic has asked me to deliver a message to everyone...she has been grounded, and will not be able to be on FFN (or anywhere else, like deviantART) for a month! The Hamtaro section will seem pretty empty without her. I know it will be a while before you read this sxmfan, but this chapter is for you!

**This time:** Some stuff happens, involving all of the couples presented throughout this story. (I think I'm going to get rid of this section and the 'Next Time' section entirely, so you folks are in suspense for the next fic...)

**Disclaimer****:**I do not own Hamtaro or any of it's characters. I own all concepts and characters presented in this story not related to the original Hamtaro franchise.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 18:** _Fireworks_

Dreamland, once the heroes returned to a joyous homecoming celebration due to sleep being restored to its natural balance, was abuzz with preparations for the wedding of Screech and Fury, the ceremony set to take place at sundown. After a nice, dreamful nap to regain their strength, not a nightmare in sight, the ham-hams busied themselves for the grand event as well, with the hamboys helping Screech and the hamgirls lending a paw to Fury.

"Aw, Fury! You look so pretty!"

"Ookwee!"

"Much more regal than I, for certain."

"Ze dress is seemply wondachu, Fury!"

"My brother is one lucky ham!"

"Tch, and you said you'd never wear a dress...."

"Like, radical!"

Fury was less enthusiastic as she stared at herself in the wall-to-ceiling mirror in Princess Hamorette's quarters. She examined the white dress, fairly simple by Dreamland's standards, and the large white bow at the back with skeptical grey eyes. The hamgirls, who had all taken a liking to Fury and vice versa, had agreed to help dress the bride. Bijou had yanked and pulled at her fur until she had a respectable pigtail on one side, tied with a ribbon made with a lunar rose from Hamorette's gardens. The rest of her fur had been scrubbed three times with a fine shampoo-like concoction, so it shone and smelled faintly of vanilla. Luckily, Fury had, with the aid of Siren and Sandy, managed to fend off Hamorette and Pashmina when they had come at her with the makeup kit.

Fury hated dresses with a passion, and sorely missed her plain black bandana, knowing that Screech would be absolutely thrilled to see her dress more girly, as he had subtly requested on many occasions. He loved her regardless, but dropped hints often about how nice she would look in a dress, and now she would reward that, with much chagrin. She wondered if he felt just as ridiculous all dressed up as she did.

Staring at her reflection with narrowed, unhappy eyes, Fury grumbled, "...I look like a cupcake."

"But a very _pretty _cupcake!" Pashmina pointed out, giving the poofy bow at the back of the dress a tug, so it was tighter and made Fury take in a sharp breath, eyes nearly bugging out of her head. Penelope squealed, "Ookwee, ookwee!"

"Think how happy Screech will be!" Joy added, twirling her Staff of Dreams.

Hamorette nodded, placing a warm paw on Fury's shoulder. "You do look great, Fury. Screech is, indeed, a very lucky knight to have you for a bride, and I wish you two every happiness in the hamster world."

Fury looked at the princess with her gentle grey gaze, and the princess smiled sincerely back. The Protector of Slumber simply couldn't believe that, after Screech's musical proposal, Hamorette had bestowed her blessing upon them, as she had feared that, upon finding out about their secret relationship, the princess would have forbade Fury and Screech from being together. But Hamorette had given them full permission, told them she would arrange everything, and had agreed to revoke the no-marriage clause entirely, opening it to all knights and others who had formerly been restricted by the law.

With shining grey eyes, the bride-to-be looked to her royal hammo and said, "You don't know how much this means to me, my lady. Thank you for letting Screech and I be together!"

The princess could only continue to smile. No matter how much heartbreak she had suffered, watching Screech fight valiantly for Fury and shunning her desires, she couldn't help but feel thrilled for the couple. The pain in her heart had mended, and as long as the two of them were happy together, united for eternity, she knew that she too, could find happiness like that somewhere - her misplaced affection for Screech had been discarded entirely, and had left room in her heart for another ham to move in...or move _back _in, as the case may be. For Screech's eyes had drawn her in, but it had only been because they reminded her of someone else...

"I just hope that you and Screech will be happy together!" Hamorette told her genuinely, jade eyes sparkling with excitement.

Fury grinned, cheeks burning. Glancing nervously at her appearance in the mirror, the hamgirl patted at her ponytail and her grey eyes clouded over, distant and hazy. "No worries about that, princess! We're always happy, just being together...but I'm so nervous about getting married it feels like my heart is gonna explode!"

"Like, don't worry about it, girl!" Sandy winked, while Bijou and Pashmina continued to fluff Fury's dress, giving it the proper level of poofiness. "Everything's gonna go off without a hitch! Like, you'll see! It's gonna be the wedding of the century!"

Fury's brow furrowed. "There's just one problem..."

The hamgirls looked to her with great concern, wondering what had possibly gone wrong, or what could be amiss on a day that seemed so perfect. "What is it?" Siren asked her future sister-in-law curiously.

"Since my parents aren't around...who's gonna walk me down the aisle?"

* * *

"Yo Screech, man, stop messing with your fur, you look fine!"

Screech wasn't so convinced as he inspected his appearance in the mirror of his quarters, where the hamboys had congregated. Stan had slicked Screech's heavy bangs back so they were out of his eyes, and, dressed in a customary formal Dreamland tunic, cerulean blue to match his eyes, Screech felt a bit ridiculous all dressed up and smelling like flowers (a scent Dexter claimed would certainly charm his soon-to-be-wife), though he had to admit, even if he felt like an idiot he was glad he would finally see Fury wear something other than her trusty bandana. Worriedly, Screech fussed with the lunar rose corsage fastened to his tunic, trying to make it straight and perfect.

"Are you _sure _I look okay? I mean, Fury _likes _my bangs in my eyes...she says it makes me look devil-ham may care. And I don't want her to think I look stupid, dressed all formal and stuff!"

Boss scoffed, also dressed in a formal Dreamland tunic that he had borrowed for the occasion, along with the other hamboys, each of theirs a dark blue in color, as per tradition. "Screech, this is a _wedding_. You have to look _spiffie_, or _else_!" The gruff ham warned.

"Or else...what?" The knight asked, brow furrowed, back going rigid.

Hamtaro shrugged. "We don't know, but that's what the girlhams told us!" He replied seriously.

"I see..."

Sprint, still bandaged up from his encounter with the were-ham, had managed to put on his customary periwinkle Best Ham's tunic without tearing the wrappings that kept his scratches from bleeding, though the shade clashed sharply with his crimson eyes. He was still walking somewhat stiffly, a slight gait to his step, but his grin still had its usual level of cheerfulness and his eyes retained their impish gleam, sure signs that he was on his way to a full recovery. Walking up beside Screech, he clapped his hamigo on the shoulder and remarked, "Well, Screech, this is it, man! You're getting hitched to the hamgirl of your dreams!"

"Hehe, I'm just hopin' that all this wedding stuff will put the lovely Pashmina in the mood for some romance! Hich I am more than willin' to provide, o'course..." Howdy chortled, rubbing his paws together eagerly.

"You wish, Howdy! If anyham sweeps Pashmina off her feet, it's going to be _me!" _Dexter, who had donned a new blue tie to match the borrowed tunic, snapped back at his hamspar.

"Like _you _can sweep her offa her feet in the firs' place, Dex! Why, you ain't even got a _broom_! Get it? Broom? Sweep? Harhar!"

"...Howdy, I'm making it my personal responsibility to make sure that _no one_ lets you have the mic at the reception, so you don't ruin this splendid occasion with your mediocre humor!"

The pair engaged in a heated staring contest, barking insults back and forth at each other like a verbal tennis match until Maxwell, taking a pause from helping Cappy adjust his somewhat-too-big tunic, intervened and separated the two, acting as a mediator. "C'mon, guys! This is a happy occasion, and we can't ruin it by fighting amongst ourselves!" The intelligent ham reprimanded, and the two separated, grumbling incoherently, though they did not persist in bickering, lest they ruin the cheerful mood.

Screech, still examining himself in the mirror, looked thoughtful as he pressed a paw to the cool, reflective glass, icy eyes clouded over. Hamtaro, noticing the change in the groom's behavior, walked up to stand beside his hammo and queried, "Is everything okay, Screech?"

The knight nodded, offering a small smile, though his cerulean-colored eyes were troubled. "Yeah..." He replied, though his tone was a little shaky and made him sound uncertain. "It's just that I..." He took a deep breath, as if swallowing his fear, though his paws had begun to quiver with building anxiousness. "I...suddenly just got really, _really _nervous."

"What's there to be, uh, nervous about?" Oxnard asked, his tunic a shade of floaty grey. "I mean, I'd be really nervous, but that's beside the point..."

Screech thought about it for a moment, casting his eyes to the intricate ceiling, before replying hesitantly, "...I honestly don't know. But...this is such a huge event for Fury and me, and I'm so excited, but it feels like there's a whole bunch of butterflies trying to break out of my stomach!" Suddenly, his tone became frantic, and he grabbed Hamtaro by the shirtfront and began to shake the hero violently, demanding, "What if I faint while I'm up there by the altar?! And what if I say 'I do' and Fury is so disgusted by how I look she'll say 'Ew, I _don't_!' or something?! What if that happens??!?!?! Oh heavens, I don't know what I'd do if she said _that_! Or what if she just doesn't show up?! _OH_, CLOUDS ABOVE - "

"Screech, _breathe_!" Panda advised sharply, as he saw the groom-to-be about to hyperventilate and possibly suffocate Hamtaro. "Just relax! You're going to be fine! Fury already said yes! She's not going to say no just because you're wearing your _bangs _differently. And you're choking Hamtaro!"

Screech stopped shaking a turning-blue Hamtaro, dropping the orange-furred ham and allowing him to breathe again, and the knight paused to consider Panda's words while Hamtaro scurried gratefully away, breathing deeply now that he was out of the knight's choke-hold. "You're right..." The knight consented, taking a deep breath and trying to loosen the tension in his shoulders. "Sorry about that. It's just...I'm getting ready to spend the rest of my life with the hamgirl I love, and I....can't believe it's _actually _happening! It's what I dreamed of, and it's finally coming true!"

There was a silence, the hamboys absorbing what Screech had just said, and admiring his dedication to his future wife. Until Stan broke the silence with a scoff,

"Dude..._someone _needs to lay off the sappiness....."

The hamboys all glared daggers at Stan, angered that he had ruined the moment. Looking around at all the angry eyes, the tiger-striped twin remarked,

"What? It was just a joke...man, you all need to lighten up - BOSS, STOP THROWING THE FUR GEL AT ME! GEEZ, I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"

* * *

The wedding, despite being held on such short notice, was lavish and every bit as luxurious as the ham-hams would have expected from a place like Dreamland and a wedding-planner like Hamorette. Lunar roses, chrysanthemums, and other assorted flowers, had been arranged to perfection on the altar and along the pews that had been set up outside in the massive castle courtyard, which had also been fixed up since the attack two nights before. An aisle had been made with a crimson velvet rug, and an archway, made from the white branches of a native Dreamland tree, had been set up before the altar for Screech and Fury to stand under, white, blue and gold ribbons interwoven throughout the branches to bring out more color. By the time sunset had begun, the pews were full of guests from all over Dreamland, all dressed for the occasion and chattering excitedly, and the wedding site glowed ethereally under the glow of the gold-orange sun.

Running on a strict schedule under the firm paw of the princess, everyone was in their proper places within seconds of dusk's beginning. The string quintet, the very same one that had played at the ruined banquet, struck up a soft, floaty tune after being cued by Hamorette, the sweet, dulcet notes from their instruments wafting across the air and creating a soothing, beautiful atmosphere. Screech stood under the archway, back straight and face measured, waiting patiently for his bride-to-be, nerves seemingly gone...on the outside, at least. Several female residents of Dreamland eyed the groom and sighed, devastated that the best-looking, (and densest) knight was now off the market.

As the youngest hamgirls, Penelope and an extremely begrudging Siren were assigned to be the flower girls, against the latter's wishes. When Bijou had bluntly (and uncharacteristically) told the displeased Guardian to 'Suck it up and do it for your brother' however, she couldn't refuse, and had even let Bijou yank her fur into a side ponytail as well, so she would match her future sister-in-law. Penelope had, for one of the first times ever, abandoned her yellow blanket for a simple pink dress, Siren forced to wear one as well, and the two, with baskets of rose petals in paw, walked up each side of the aisle and the beautiful gold, red, and white petals rained down in a cascade of glimmering colors, kicking off the ceremony.

A nervous, but determined Cappy acted as the ring-bearer, and waked up the aisle next, encouraged by a grin from Nikolai, who had been invited to sit in the front row on Fury's side with the Watchers and Uncle C and Skyla. The little ham's reunion with his family had gone over well, though there had been several tears and hugs and even cookies afterwards, and now, sitting happily beside his brothers, the little ham felt that he had at last made the right choice, and knew finally where he belonged; with his family. Cappy smiled back at his newfound hammo, and, determinedly, made it up the aisle without tripping, waiting for when he would hand Screech and Fury their rings.

Next to make their way up the aisle were the Best Ham, Sprint, with a beaming Princess Hamorette on his arm. He still limped slightly, but, with support from the princess, they made it without incident. Sprint took his spot beside Screech, giving his hamigo a paw-five for good luck, and Hamorette stood where the bridesmaids would be. Following them was a smiling Hamtaro and Bijou, dressed in the finest Dreamland attire, serving as groomsman and bridesmaid, and then Maxwell and Sandy, and Pashmina and Panda, the other ham-hams, namely the hamboys, took up the front row on Screech's side. Once they had all settled in their proper places, there were only two members of the wedding party that had yet to be revealed; Joy, the Maid of Honor, and Fury.

He string quintet struck up the wedding march, and all eyes turned to the end of the aisle, where the bride now stood, escorted by a limping, but smiling Joy, her hamigo and Maid of Honor. Screech felt his breath catch in his throat, completely caught of guard by how stunning Fury looked in her dress, and how she glowed in the light of the fading sun. His heart quickened in his chest, but he kept himself composed, like a true gentleham, even if the excitement was almost overwhelming him. His ice-blue eyes met her stormy grey across the courtyard, and each smiled, their hearts soaring in their chests, as Joy and Fury began the slow walk toward the altar, under the watchful gazes of their guests.

"Oh, zis really ees going to be ze wedding of a lifetime, _non_?" Bijou whispered to Sandy and Pashmina, blue eyes shining with excitement. "I only hope my wedding will be zis beautiful!"

"Mine too!" Pashmina sighed, while Sandy, despite her tomboyish nature, sighed, "Mine three..."

At last, after what felt like an eternity to them, the united couple stood together under the archway, paws linked and smiling brightly at one another, hearts thundering in their chests like war drums. Screech, keeping his voice low so that no one else could listen in, whispered to his future wife,

"You look - "

"Shut up!" Fury hissed back, terribly embarrassed, though her cheeks burned magenta and she was obviously pleased that he had been about to compliment her. "But....thank you."

Screech grinned.

In line with the other groomsmen, Panda whispered to Maxwell, a gleam of laughter in his eyes, "Bet you ten seeds that Screech faints before the ceremony ends."

Maxwell shot him a look, and hissed back, "Panda, I'm appalled! Making a bet like that is in such poor taste..."

"Twenty seeds?"

"...Deal."

The ceremony was quick, peaceful and one the ham-hams would always remember. The priest spoke elegantly about the ties of love that had connected the hearts of the two hamsters together for eternity, and Screech and Fury traded swift, but meaningful vows about the importance of one another, and how much the other meant to them, and how much trust they had in one another, alluding to Fury's 'furry little problem' but never stating the secret outright, making the ham-hams exchange secret smiles with one another. By the time the sun was ready to dip completely out of sight, and fireflies had begun to flit around the courtyard, and there was only one last part of the ceremony to take place.

"Do you, Screech, knight of Dreamland, take Fury to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Screech couldn't wipe the grin off his face. Enthusiastically, the groom replied, "I do!"

"And Fury, do you take Screech to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Fury turned a brilliant shade of magenta, but shyly, and wholeheartedly, returned with a soft, "...I do."

The priest hed his aws out to the congregated guests and proclaimed to the gold-orange sky, "Then, residents of Dreamland and honored guests, I am pleased to present Screech and Fury, who are now bound together by the sanctity of marriage for all eternity! Screech, if she doesn't die of embarrassment first...you may now kiss the bride!"

Grinning from ear to ear, and earning squeals from every hamgirl present, the couple sealed their union with a kiss, and the courtyard erupted into cheers and applause, Fury and Screech soaring higher than the moon that had begun to rise as twilight ended and night approached.

For the reception after the ceremony, Fury and Screech were both allowed to change out of their formal clothes and into more comfortable attire, as were the rest of the ham-hams, to the relief of Sandy and Siren, who hated wearing dresses. Fury traded her wedding dress for a nice, flower-patterned white bandana while Screech simply wore a light blue bow-tie, still staying in the spirit of things...and he was grateful when Fury took her paw and gave him an affectionate noogie, thus ruining his gelled bangs so that they fell casually into his eyes again.

The courtyard (now minus the pews and altar) and gardens of the castle, where the reception was held, were crowded, with all of the Dreamland residents having been invited to the party, which simultaneously celebrated the defeat of Steel and slumber's restoration. A delectable cake was served to Oxnard's absolute joy, and the string quintet played upbeat melodies for the guests to dance to. However, once every ham had sat down for a bite to eat at the tables that had been set up for the feast, Uncle C gave a raucous toast to the ham-hams for their brave actions against the villain, raising a glass of apple cider to them and announcing to the entire crowd of hamsters,

"A toast to the brave heroes, who ventured to Dreamland to help save out sleeping minds from Steel's horrid actions! Not only did they succeed in restoring sleep to its natural order...they also succeeded in bringing one of the most precious things back into my life...and without them, my family and I would have never been reunited with our son Nikolai! So thank you, hams, for everything! I tip each and every _one _of my hats to you! To the heroes!" As the hatmaker spoke, he slung an arm around his youngest son, who seemed happier than ever to be home.

"To the heroes!" The other guests echoed.

The ham-hams blushed as there was enthusiastic cheering and applause for their heroics, each guest taking a sip of whatever drink they held to honor the brave heroes that had saved their slumbering minds from steel's nightmares. They weren't used to such treatment, from such a large group of hamsters...but they certainly felt like they could get used to it.

Once Uncle C finished his toast, Sprint gave his, as was tradition for the Best Ham. "Hey, I've known Screech and Fury for about a year now, and I'm not at all surprised to see that they made it to this point in their relationship. Heck, I've always said that _smoochie _was for fools, but if that's true, then they are two truly lucky fools to have each other, and I can even say I'm a little envious of them. But I wish them all the best, and I know that they'll be happy! Congratulations, and best of luck with your future you guys! And Fury...I pass the baton on to you, as his new wife....now _you're _going to be the one who assures Screech that his fur looks okay _every single day_. Have fun!"

There was appreciative laughter and clapping, though Screech's cheeks had turned a dark shade of maroon with embarrassment. Sprint laughed as well, then raised his glass of cider and remarked, "To the happy couple!"

"To the happy couple!"

Once the meal was finished, the party fell into full swing. Fury started off the night by standing on a chair and throwing her bouquet over her shoulder. The hamgirls, having been waiting eagerly in a huddled mass on the dance floor, clawed and shoved their way toward the falling bundle of lunar roses, trying desperately to be the winner. Bijou thought for sure that she would be the lucky one, as the prize was within grasp as she vaulted over Pashmina, but she was halted by a crutch that suddenly appeared in front of her face. Blocked from the bouquet, Joy, the owner of the crutch, claimed the prize instead, catching it in one paw. The jilted hamgirls let out grievous sighs, envy in their eyes.

"Sorry ladies..." Joy, arching a brow, remarked airily, as she reached forward and grabbed the passing Watcher Cumulus by his messenger bag, and yanking him toward her with so much force the wind was nearly knocked out of him.

To the amazement of those around them, Joy threw her crutch away, grabbed Cumulus by the paws, stuck a rose from the bouquet in her mouth and told him sternly through gritted teeth, amber eyes glowing, "Let's cut a rug, Romeo!"

Cumulus seemed happy to oblige, and he and Joy began a wild, semi-violent and somewhat-lopsided tango, in perfect rhythm with the string quintet, though as they turned and steered about the makeshift dance-floor they narrowly avoided injuring other couples with their sharp movements and swift paws. Bijou found the sight so charming and heartwarming that she didn't mind losing out on catching the bouquet....a loss that was lessened even further when a hesitant paw tapped her on the shoulder.

"Bijou? Uh....did you want to dance?"

It was Hamtaro, still dressed in his dark blue tunic. Bijou blushed, remembering how, the last time they had enjoyed a propr conversation, she had come so close to confessing her true feelings for him. Now, she could see that he was the nervous one this time, and he was avoiding looking directly into her eyes, as if he couldn't bring himself to face her. Even his cheeks were tinted pink, something she rarely saw in the heroic, orange-furred ham.

Flattered by the offer, Bijou took his paw, her heart fluttering in her chest. "_Oui_, I would love to dance Hamtaro!"

Te band began to play a slow, elegant melody, and Bijou, taking the lead due to Hamtaro's two left-paws when it came to slow-dancing, relaxed in Hamtaro's embrace, though he seemed a little less sure of himself. His movements were stiff and rigid, and, after a few moments of silence, Bijou, growing more nervous by the second, felt the need to speak up. Something was off, and she hoped that it wasn't anything she'd done to make Hamtaro uneasy...

"Is somezing ze matter, Hamtaro?" She asked quietly, as they swayed amidst the other couples on the dance floor.

Then, suddenly, Hamtaro had stopped moving completely. Bijou pulled back, her heart leaping into her throat, and she was surprised when she saw that his brown eyes were muddled with various emotions. The uncertainty splayed across his face was alarming to Bijou…she had thought that things between them had been headed in a positive direction, but he looked so horribly uneasy, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was something she had done to make him look so uncomfortable.

Before she could ask him again if anything was wrong, the orange-furred hero, paws shaking violently, pulled a piece of crumpled paper out of the pocket of his tunic and cleared his throat nervously, brown eyes anxious. Confused, and very curious, Bijou listened intently, as the other dancing couples continued to move around them, and Hamtaro began to speak in a shaky, tremulous voice,

"B-Bijou…._ Your fur is soft as the clouds, your eyes as bright as the sun, I know I make you mad sometimes, but I still think that you're the one…"_

Bijou's eyes widened in surprise, and she felt her cheeks grow hot. Was Hamtaro….reading her a poem? More specifically, had he written her a poem? Could he even _write_?

"_I can be dumb, and I can be dense, but when I'm with you, everything makes sense…"_

Bijou felt as if she had gone numb. Could this truly be happening? This moment she had dreamed of…could it at last be coming true?

"_I know that you are worried, that I don't understand love's law, but I know that you and I are meant, to walk paw-in-paw."_

When he had finished, Hamtaro raised his chocolate eyes from the paper in his paws to Bijou's face. He blanched slightly, at seeing her awestruck expression, mistaking it for shock. Nerves intensifying, Hamtaro spoke up, praying that he had made the right move and not screwed things up by taking Screech's advice, "Um…Bij? That's the end of the poem…"

Bijou was flabbergasted, unable to find the right words to articulate the emotions she could feel pooling in her heart. But, before Hamtaro could feel too mortified by her silence, she flung herself into the surprised hero's arms and felt warm, crystal tears spilling down her cheeks. Hamtaro, bewildered by her sudden, somewhat violent affection, could do nothing more than hug her back, wondering what had caused the surge in her emotions, but feeling pleased by her actions nonetheless. Screech _had_ told him that the poem would work after all…

And now, he was sure that this was something he wanted, even if the trials and tribulations of the heart had confused him endlessly in the past. But, of all the hams in the world, Hamtaro knew that there was one who appreciated him as the hero, and the ham both….accepting both sides of his personality without complaint, and following and supporting him without fail. Now, he felt that he understood enough to know that Bijou's voice, a soft voice that had given him the courage to summon the strength to defeat Steel, was one that he loved to hear, and he wanted to hear it every day. Now, he understood his feelings with an unparalleled clarity.

Now, he accepted the feelings that had always lingered, but he had never quite been able to comprehend, and all he could do was hope that the snow-colored female could reciprocate.

"Hamtaro….zat was ze prettiest poem I 'ave ever heart! I am zo….zo…_'appy_!"

The relief Hamtaro felt was indescribable. "Really?" He asked, as she released him from her embrace and stood across from him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You really liked it? Screech lent me his rhyming dictionary, but it still took me like, four whole hours to write…did you know that nothing good rhymes with Bijou? Other than words like glue, and flew, and _poo_…"

"Hamtaro!" Bijou cut him off by raising a paw and winking at him. "I loved eet. And…I will love it even more if it means just what I zink zat it means!"

Hamtaro grinned, heart sparking to life in his chest. "I'll bet it does."

Bijou, overwhelmed by happiness and the new bond that she and the one she had dreamt of would share, for what she hoped was eternity. Holding his paws again, and continuing their interrupted dance, Bijou kissed Hamtaro on the cheek, making him blush scarlet, and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling, at last, completely where she belonged, in the arms of her hero, dancing the summer night away.

"Wait, Bijou….you _did_ think that it meant that I like you…right?"

"….Oh, you silly boy…"

* * *

Hamorette slipped away from the party when she was certain no ham would notice, and, sending furtive glances over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't been followed, snuck into the castle and away from the party. She walked cautiously through the empty castle, winding through halls and stairwells until she reached a chamber in the lower-levels, and a tall, iron door that was bolted and locked tight, hidden away from the rest of the world, as if to keep something out...or to keep something trapped inside.

Delicately, she raised a paw and rapped gently on the iron door. It echoed softly in the otherwise empty chamber, but there was no response from the other side of the door. A sigh escaped the princess's lips. She knocked again, firmer this time, but there was still no reply.

After a moment of silence, Hamorette crossed the room to a hook on the stone wall, where a key hung. She had sent the guards to the reception earlier that evening, not wanting anyone to miss out on the celebration, but, regardless of the lack of protection, she picked up the key and walked back over to the iron door, slipping the key inside the keyhole and giving it a turn, until the lock clicked, signaling that the door was open. With both paws, Hamorette pulled the heavy door open, and then stood in the entrance, staring with calm jade eyes at what lay hidden behind it, keeping a complacent expression on her face.

There was a pause, before Hamorette cleared her throat and mustered up enough courage to break the silence that had doused the room.

"The guards said you haven't eaten anything."

No answer.

"They say that all you've done is sit there. You won't speak, move, or sleep..." She continued, but she trailed off, staring fixedly at the huddled grey mass of fur sitting in the center of the cell, his back to her, motionless and silent.

Still no answer. A longer silence ensued.

The princess sighed again, her heart giving a painful pang, as it did now whenever she thought of his heartbroken expression up on the bridge at Hamaustere, or whenever she recalled his impassioned words, that had rung out so clearly to the starlit sky. They had said so much that fateful night, revealed all the deep dark secrets that they had bottled up, all uncovered after that final battle, but nothing, as of yet, had been clearly resolved. There was a lot left up in the air, between them.

"...It can't go on like this forever."

The stubborn silence persisted.

"Nikolai...he survived, you know. And he doesn't seem bitter about what happened, now that he knows the truth. His family welcomed him back with open arms...and he'll be an apprentice in his father's shop next week. Joy is okay too....a little banged up...but she'll recuperate. And neither...neither of them seem like they will hold a grudge."

Nothing.

Hamorette chuckled lightly under her breath, rambling now, to keep the silence from continuing. "It may not be what you wanted, but the world is at balance again with dreams and nightmares. Sleep is a blissful sanctuary once more, and Dreamland is at peace. Everyone...everyone is happy, again. Hamtaro placed the Stone back in Hamenon's hands, at the Chamber of Peaceful Rest...and it really _is _what's best for the world, even if you wished for something else."

Still nothing. He just continued to sit, alone, in the center of that cold, empty cell.

Hamorette felt a sudden sadness seize her heart. After another unbearably long pause, torturous and tense, she said, her voice falling so it was barely above a whisper,"...I meant what I said, you know."

As her soft words floated toward him, she could have sworn she saw a faint twitch, his first movement since he had been locked away hours earlier. As if he had been _affected _by what she said. Heart skipping a beat, the princess stepped a little closer, creeping into the cell, as she went on, hopeful now, with a gleam in her jade eyes,

"I think it's possible...for a fresh start to take place. For you to move on, and begin again."

She was speaking from her heart, and hoped that he could hear how sincere she truly was.

"Soren....I like to think that things could return to how they were. But if they can't...I just want you to know that the door is open for you to make the choice. To continue on in this painful existence...or move on, and forge a new path. The choice is yours...and I only hope that you will make the right one."

Leaving the promise behind her for him to take if he wished, the princess, leaving the iron door open, left the chamber, her pawsteps echoing in the hallway as she disappeared. She was fully aware that he could simply escape his prison and go on another path of terror, but she knew in her heart that he would not flee - he had been fleeing from his past for years, after all. She kept her head aloft, and her jade eyes ahead, though she hoped that behind her, the one she had cared for nearly her entire life, even when she had thought all was lost, would relent, and give in to the way she had left clear for him to take....the way that would hopefully bring him back to her.

For even if they could not look back, she hoped that he, like she, could see a bright future, of many possibilities, on the horizon, even if it would take a little time for redemption to fully sink in.

Back in the cell, Steel remained hunched in a ball on the stone floor, miserable and tormented and unwilling to budge.

But _Soren_ turned his head toward freedom, azure eyes watching the path Princess Hamorette had taken, and a small smile spread across his face, her words ringing in his ears.

The path to forgiveness...didn't look so bad after all.

* * *

"Maxwell, are you sure we can just leave the party like this? What if someone like, misses us and doesn't know where we went?"

"Relax, Sandy…I've got something special planned. Hamorette knows about it, so she knows we haven't simply gone missing, or something like that. Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay…"

Sandy dutifully, but skeptically, followed Maxwell as he forged his way through the dark alleys of Dreamland. The streets were unfamiliar and damp from the rain the day before, and she shadows that stretched along their path looked menacing at night. Sandy was completely befuddled, clueless as to where he could be taking her, and held onto his paw nervously, eyes flitting about their surroundings.

"You _sure_ you know where you're going?"

"For the last time Sandy, yes, I'm sure! Just go with it…you're the one who usually tells me to relax…and this time I'm going to just need you to go with it…"

Sandy kept her mouth shut, and despite the circumstances, let Maxwell take the lead. After a few moments, the pair had reached a spot of green grass, a little bit away from the streets of the dreamy city, and rows of several wooden buildings that resembled…

"Are those….stables? With…._doves_ in them?"

Maxwell grinned at Sandy, grey eyes shining. And, taking both of her paws in his so she would know he was earnest, he told her, "You bet! I remembered what you said at the library the other day, about those dive rides, and Hamorette agreed to let me take you out on a moonlight ride! You know….if that's okay with you, Sandy. I just….don't want you to think that books take priority in my life over you, and I want you to know that the most important thing in my life…"

Sandy's breath hitched in her throat and her heart froze in her chest.

"…is _you_."

As his words reached out to her heart, Sandy felt her happiness soar out across the skies. She knew that Maxwell was sincere…he had shown it first, back at Hamaustere, by sacrificing his book for her life, and then declaring her importance as they fled from the were-ham. And she felt foolish for ever doubting her place in his heart. Thrilled by his confession, Sandy threw her arms around Maxwell's neck, reveled in the moment they shared, and even felt tears pool in the corners of her eyes.

"You're the most important thing to me too, Maxwell. And I'm sorry I ever doubted you! To like, make up for it, I had a talk with the princes….and she's giving you a different copy of that book you lost when you threw it at the were-ham!"

"Aw, Sands, you didn't have - "

"It's the first edition, or something."

"…Ham-heavens above, Sandy, you are the best girlham ever!"

"Hmm…I do what I can. Now, how about that dove ride?"

The moon was already high in the sky and the stars shining by the time Siren worked up enough courage to approach Sprint, feeling terribly inadequate and out of place beside him, as he had remained dressed in his fine tunic, looking like a true knight out of a fairytale, while she had abandoned the soft pink dress and pulled out her ponytail. She tapped him on the shoulder as he reached for a seed in the food line, and, surprised, he turned around to face her, and she felt her heart leap into her throat as they came face-to-face in earnest for the first time since their fateful conversation by the fountain.

"Can I....talk to you?" She asked quietly, cheeks turning maroon as his brilliant crimson eyes centered on her.

Sprint looked mildly surprised by her request, but nonetheless pleased, and replied, a flutter formed in his chest and tickled his heart, "Sure...I suppose so."

Siren looked around at the other partygoers, and, blushing deeper, asked shyly, hating how nervous she was to speak with him when the words had come so easily only two days before. "Do you mind…if we go somewhere else, though? It's kind of a private matter, and it's pretty loud out here."

Sprint, feeling nervous as well, though he tried not to show it, merely nodded.

Siren, heart thundering in her chest, led the Dreamland knight away from the noise and laughter, though they remained silent, neither knowing quite what to say. They exited the courtyard and the gardens, until the sounds from the reception were nothing more than a buzz in their ears, like a distant memory. Dreamland's golden streetlamps were lit, providing them with light to see by as they walked, the blue streets sparkling beneath their feet. She had enjoyed walking side by side with him before….but now, there was so much conflict and tension raging between them she wondered if it could ever return to how it had been only one short day before. And Siren found, as Sprint fell into step beside her, that she could no longer hold in her burdened feelings, that had been threatening to tear her apart ever since he had dropped the bombshell about his heritage on her.

"I'm sorry!"

She stopped walking abruptly and blurted it out, a sudden relief coming over her, but her nerves returned when Sprint halted as well, and turned around to look at her with confusion mixed with some kind of amusement etched into his face, as if he didn't comprehend what she was trying to say. "Heke?" He asked after a pause, half-disbelieving, half-befuddled.

Siren, conjuring every ounce of courage she had in her pounding heart, raised her azure eyes to Sprint's radiant crimson and, speaking clearly so that he wouldn't misunderstand her, she told him sincerely, "I….I was being an idiot yesterday. I shouldn't have run away from you when you told me that….that _he_ was your brother."

Sprint merely stared at her, jaw dropping. Was she…..was she apologizing? He had assumed, obviously wrongly, that she had summoned him to sever ties with him completely, dashing what small, futile wishes he had held on to regarding himself and the hamgirl. But now, as he peered into her hazy, but genuine azure eyes, and listened to her soft, but meaningful voice, he could see that her apology was legitimate and she was speaking from her heart, which made his own soar inside his chest like a dove.

"I…" Siren went on, swallowing her fear. "I shouldn't have judged you like that, just based on who your brother is. Because, even though I've only known you for a couple of days…I _know_ that you aren't like your brother. Because you're a good ham, with a good heart….and I acted foolishly yesterday. And you know, I do sort of _like_ you and all. I'm really, really sorry….and I was hoping we could…you know…go back to how things were _before_ I was a total dunderhead?"

Sprint could not believe his ears. He felt a sudden warmth seize him, spreading from the tips of his ears to his toes, as Siren's words floated around in his mind.

That had been exactly what he wanted, and needed, to hear most.

Overjoyed, and grinning so brightly that the stars were envious of him, the Dreamland knight lunged forward, grabbed Siren in a fierce hug reminiscent of the first one they had shared after the incident with Flo at the café, and replied,

"Siren…that's all that I needed to hear."

Siren, face scarlet, grinned, and, once the knight had released her from his grasp, asked, azure eyes bright and eager, "So…everything's okay now?"

Sprint gave her a paws-up. "Better than okay! Wanna take a walk?" He held his paw out for her to take, and, still blushing redder than a cheery, gratefully took it, and both of their hearts felt at ease once more as they continued to venture away from the party, in favor of solace and sanctuary. They walked in silence under the velvet night sky, just pleased that the tension between them had been resolved in full and their friendship, or maybe more, had been restored.

"It's a really pretty night, huh?"

Sprint and Siren sat on the bench, right in front of the beautiful fountain in Dreamland Square, as fate would have it. There was plenty of room on the bench for them to sit a good distance apart, but they decided to ignore that and sit directly next to each other, shoulders grazing comfortably. The initial awkwardness that had once plagued them was now diminished to nothing; making it even more unfortunate that she would be leaving the next morning to return to her home with the ham-hams, and he would be remaining in Dreamland to guard Princess Hamorette.

"Yeah..." Siren murmured quietly, leaning with a sigh against the back of the bench, Sprint mirroring her. She thought she saw two white doves zoom by overhead as she looked up at the sky, but figured, after a moment that she must have imagined them. "The moon and stars are a lot prettier here. It's like they're close enough to touch. Wish I could see this every night."

She couldn't quite enjoy it as much as she wanted, knowing that this was the last time she would see it for a long time, and she didn't know when she would be seeing it with Sprint again, if she ever did. His job as Dreamland knight was time-consuming, and she was the Guardian of all hamster-kind, bound to protect hamsters for the rest of her life. Two powerful hamsters, who were trying to find a way to work out a relationship across a great distance. It was a dilemma, and one not easy to solve.

"You could," Sprint pointed out simply, trying to mask his true meaning behind a veil of casualness. "...If you stayed."

He said it with a great amount of nonchalance, but Siren could tell there was something _more _behind his words, though she wasn't quite sure _what_."...Stay?" She echoed quietly, trying to fathom what exactly he meant, looking to Sprint out of the corner of her eye, heart racing in her chest. "You mean....stay _here_? In _Dreamland_?"

Sprint shrugged, still trying to appear casual, though it was plain for Siren to see that nerves raged within him, and his back had gone rigid against the bench, as if he were bracing himself for something. Cheeks reddening slightly, the knight stammered, "Well, I-er....well yeah! I mean, your brother's here, and he's the only family you have anymore, right? Plus, you've got a new sister-in-law here...and the food is great, can't forget that. You'll be able to see the sunset like this everyday, and live on the clouds..." He trailed off, unable to express the true meaning behind his suggestion.

By this time, however, Siren was able to venture a guess as to why he really wanted her to stay, and it made her heart swell with nerves and happiness both.

"...And _you're _here." She said with a small smile.

Sprint blushed harder, but played it off with a chuckle. "Well...yeah, I guess there's that too..."

A silence fell. Neither were quite sure what to say, but Siren's head raced with numerous thoughts. Staying in Dreamland hadn't really occurred to her…it was true that if she did stay, she would be close to the only family link she had outside of her banishment, and she would be living in a total paradise, with wonderful friends, a beautiful sunset each and every night just outside her window….and a dashing hamboy to share it with. It was picture perfect….but she also had her friends to think about. She had only known them for a few weeks, but had come to think of them as her adopted family. And she wasn't so sure she was ready to leave them behind just yet, even if the scenario she could see for herself in Dreamland was highly appealing.

"As much as I like that idea, I would hate to leave the ham-hams. I may have just met them a short time ago, but I've come to like living with them…they're like my family. I mean, I'd like to stay…but maybe that's an option best left for the future!" Siren finally replied, offering a bright smile to her companion, who couldn't help but grin in response.

The knight nodded, unhurt by the rejection. "Ah, I understand. I wouldn't be able to leave Dreamland behind, even though I do like spending time with you…..a lot."

Siren sighed contentedly, feeling very at peace, and looked up to the vast array of stars overhead. It comforted her to know that even when she left, she and Sprint, no matter how far apart, would always be beneath the same sky. "Well, it's not as if we'll never see each other. I can fly and stuff, which makes it more convenient for me to come and visit. And it won't be that difficult to write letters back and forth…"

"Not difficult at all!" Sprint added cheerfully, just glad that things between them were no longer tense.

There was another pause. The concept of staying in touch was comforting to the pair, but both did feel a small bit of emptiness forming in their hearts already, at the thought of separation.

"But…I am going to miss you…" Sprint admitted.

Siren sighed. "I'm going to miss you too."

Another silence.

"…Does that mean you want to be my girlha - "

"Yes, Sprint. I thought you'd never ask."

"….._Alright_!"

* * *

When the reception had ended and the residents of Dreamland had retired to their beds, the time came for the ham-hams, and their new hammos to say goodbye. After packing up all their belongings, and Snoozer, the ham-hams, under the cover of moonlight, met Princess Hamorette, Joy, Fury, Screech, Sprint, the Watchers, Uncle C, Skyla, and Nikolai on the edge of Dreamland, where carrier doves waited to take the ham-hams back to the comfort of Oak Tree Park and their owners. They would have delayed their departure until the next morning, but homesickness could only be staved off for so long.

Hugs were exchanged, and promises to keep in touch were shared. Screech and Panda watched like vultures as Sprint and Siren hugged each other goodbye, promising to see each other in the near future. Nikolai and Cappy, upset that they had to be separated right when they had started to get along, shook paws and promised to correspond, and let each other know if they found new hats. Fury, Hamorette, and Joy exchanged tearful goodbyes with the hamgirls, while Screech and Sprint slapped paw-fives with the hamboys. Screech gave his sister an affectionate noogie and promised to write. The goodbyes were dreaded, but heartfelt all the same.

With friends, it's never goodbye…only 'see you later.' And, as the Dreamlanders watched the ham-hams take to the dark sky on their brilliant white doves, headed for home, they waved with hope in their hearts that they would see their hammos again. They would always be united by the events of those few perilous days, and the influence the ham-hams had had on the residents of Dreamland would linger forever.

"Bye-Q!" the Dreamlanders yelled after the departing doves.

"Bye-Q!" The ham-hams returned, saddened to be leaving their friends but glad that they would be returning to the comforts of home, called over their shoulders as they hurtled off into the distance. And then, they waved and called goodbye until Dreamland was just a bright speck of gold, pink, and blue in the distance, and only when it was gone from sight did they turn around on their doves, and, with lighted hearts, set their sights toward home…

* * *

The next day at school, the mood in Laura's circle of friends had gone from overcast to only partly-cloudy, seemingly changing overnight.

Mika and Reese caught Laura before homeroom, and Mika told her that Travis had come to her house the afternoon before and they had talked things over, smoothing out the bumps that had prohibited their friendship and bringing an end to the hard feelings between them. Reese had shown up after that, fresh from his talk with Laura, and the three of them had worked everything out, and Reese, as well as Mika, had given Travis the apologies he had wanted.

"Thank you so much Laura, for helping us out!" Mika had professed gratefully, shaking Laura's hand, just as she had on the day that they had met. "Without you talking sense into all three of us, we would have never resolved anything! You're a great friend!"

"Yeah, thanks," Reese added, with a small, but sincere smile. Laura noted that, after their talk the afternoon before, Reese had obviously resumed his old conversation habits...or lack thereof. But, now that she knew him better, she didn't mind, for she knew that when he wanted to talk, he would, and she could accept that he at least considered her a worthy enough friend to speak about his troubles with.

Laura grinned at both of them, pleased to see their lifted spirits, feeling oddly at ease. "It was nothing. I'm just glad that you were able to get the problem resolved!"

Now, because of the core of the problem being mended, everyone was at least on speaking terms with one another. When she walked into homeroom that morning after walking with Kana to hers, Gina and June were leaning against the counter near June's desk, gossiping as if they had never been feuding in the first place, with Travis listening in and trying to make heads or tails of what they were saying. Lance was chatting amiably to an intently listening Mika and Reese, trying to get them to laugh at his new slew of jokes. The dense atmosphere had cleared, and though there was still a bit of tension, Laura could tell that the worst had passed, and it made her heart swell with happiness.

In Science class, Reese and Travis high-fived across their lab table and grinned at each other after completing their lab experiment successfully, proving that things between them had also been mended, and Laura exchanged a relieved smile with Kana as they watched the two boys get along better than they had in weeks. In Math class, Mika and Travis even conversed civilly, all tension having evaporated into thin air except for scant, barely noticeable traces. At lunch, Laura wasn't even surprised when she saw Travis and June together, linking hands as they walked to sit around the now completed circle of friends by the soccer fields, everyone at last united.

"_It looks like everything is back to normal..._"

Except for one thing.

Roberto still hadn't spoken to her since he had fled from her attic two days before.

She had seen the orange-haired boy but fleetingly since, in Gym class, though they never wound up on the same team during soccer scrimmages, as he was no doubt taking great care to avoid her after their confrontation - even alienating himself from his other friends, so to avoid seeing her. The resulting pain in her heart over his ignoring her and her still missing hamster were all that kept Laura from reaching the level of contentedness she had been desiring ever since her friends had begun to fight. _That _problem had since been resolved, but now there were more pressing matters at hand, and Laura didn't know what to do about them, or how to mend them, so that she could finally feel at peace.

"Hey Laura....did you want to go to the fireworks tonight at the school? Everyone else is coming, and it's sure to be a blast!" Kana suggested as they walked home together that afternoon, after their first day back at school with near-normalcy being restored.

Laura bit her lip. She had been contemplating her dilemma with Roberto, and struggling with the fluttering feelings lurking deep within her heart, so the idea of going to the fireworks didn't seem too appealing. Especially since she'd be surrounded by happy couples under the glow of the multicolored lights, and that idea was positively nauseating. "I'm not so sure..."

"C'mon, Laura! It's going to be so much fun! You can't let this thing with Roberto let you down. Just come, and keep your mind on the fireworks, and nothing else!" Kana encouraged, giving her best friend's arm a shake.

Laura thought about it, and decided that a night of beautiful fireworks lighting up the sky as she sat on a comfortable blanket with her friends didn't seem like such a bad idea. Offering the bespectacled girl beside her a warm smile, the brunette replied, "Alright…I guess I can go, if mom and dad say it's okay. But I'll just keep my eyes on the fireworks, and nothing else!"

A few hours later, Laura found herself on a plaid blanket, resting on a grassy hill by the school, alone and miserable.

Upon their arrival at the school just after sundown, Lance had popped up and spirited Kana away so that he could enjoy the fireworks with her, and leaving Laura all by her lonesome. And, as appealing as it was to sit by herself on a blanket surrounded by happy couples, like June and Travis, Kylie and Kory, Mika and Reese, Gina and Josh, and now Kana and Lance, she considered sitting by herself, where she could see the fireworks in peace without all the hand-holdage and hugging, was a better idea than surrounding herself with that torment.

The night was calm and peaceful, and Laura was more or less alone on her moonlit hill. The stars were lovely, and the breeze gentle, as she waited patiently for the fireworks to start. Seeing the illustrious lights as the flashed across the sky, and hearing the crashes like thunder, would be a nice distraction from her problems with a certain orange-haired nuisance…though, at this point, he had become a bit _more_ than a nuisance in her mind…

"Hey…Room for one more?"

She had been thinking about it so much, she was starting to hear his voice…

"Hello…Earth to Haruna!"

Her imagination was scarily accurate.

"LAURA!"

"Huh?!" Laura, startled as the shout broke through her reverie, whirled around to see Roberto himself, hands on hips and staring coolly down at her, as he stood beside her blanket. His eyes were calm and measured, and his expression placid, and Laura felt a sudden explosion of butterflies in her stomach upon seeing him again, and had to admit he didn't look so irritating under the starlight…

"Come back to Earth, space cadet!" Roberto scoffed, the sneer back in his voice, though Laura could detect a faint gleam of something like hurt in his eyes. "I asked you if there was room for one more."

Laura merely nodded her head and scooted over, and Roberto plopped down on the blanket beside her, making her heartbeat quicken. Laura inwardly cursed her emotions…she finally had an opportunity to speak with Roberto and right everything that had gone awry, and she couldn't even muster up enough courage to look at him, much less _speak_ with him. Her heart still felt a little confused, but, in light of recent revelations, she knew that there were things she needed to set straight…make that hurt gleam in his eyes go away…

"Look, Roberto - "

"No, _you_ look, Haruna," Roberto cut her off, keeping his eyes on the sky, as if he were scared to look at her as well, a thought that Laura would have never imagined possible. "What I said back in your attic…it really isn't any of my business. And I shouldn't have run off like that…that was pretty low of me. I guess…I guess I just let some things get to my head."

Laura listened, spellbound. Was he…apologizing? But…

"It really isn't my business if you like Travis or not."

…She had wanted to set things right with _him_, not have him come and apologize to _her_. He had never apologized for anything…ever. Well, except for when he had teased her about Hamtaro. But that had also been recently, when she had begun to see him in a whole new light.

"So yeah….I'll keep my nose in my own business."

Laura felt all possible words die on her tongue. Why…why did Roberto sound so wistful? Like he was lying?

"…Are you even listening?"

And, in the warmth of that summer night, every puzzle piece seemed to fall in place for Laura. Roberto, alerted by her silence, turned to look at her quizzically and it all made sense. The butterflies, her hurt over his refusal to speak with her, and the sudden eruption of butterflies in her stomach when he was around…all of it was clear now. With the stars and moon watching, Laura felt something shift within her heart, and even though words were impossible to come by, she thought of something else she could do to make sure Roberto got her point. She closed her eyes, leaned slightly forward, heart thudding in her chest as if it might break through it, and..

Fireworks.

* * *

That night, Laura returned to her room all smiles and giggles, legs trembling with excitement, collapsing into bed the moment she got through the door and falling asleep in her clothes, but her heart was full and conscience appeased. She wondered idly, as she drifted off, if it were possible for her to get any happier than she was that perfect summer night…

She got an answer the next morning when she awoke to the sounds of Hamtaro's whiz wheel turning. Brown eyes shooting open, the girl sat straight up, flew out of bed, and ran over to her desk, where she had sat Hamtaro's cage when he disappeared. And, sure enough, sitting there in his whiz wheel, grin on his face and his fur only slightly mussed, was her beloved orange hamster, looking up at her with expectant brown eyes. Laura rubbed her eyes to clear the sleep from them, as if to make sure she wasn't dreaming. When she opened her eyes again, her little pet was still there, and Laura felt her heart soar even higher, were it possible.

"Mom! Dad! Hamtaro's back! He's come home!"

Full of excitement and relief, the young girl opened the cage door and Hamtaro hopped out into her hand, feeling that all of his exhaustion, tired muscles, and leaden limbs were worth it, now that he was home and had been reunited with the owner he loved so deeply. Tears sprang into Laura's eyes, overcome with happiness that Hamtaro had returned.

"I missed you _so_ much little guy!" Laura professed tearfully, as Hamtaro rubbed up against her cheek and her parent's footsteps could be heard echoing on the stairwell. "I'm so glad to have you back! I have so much to tell you!"

_"Boy, I'll bet! And I have a whole bunch of stuff to tell you too! About Dreamland, my new friends, fighting Steel, and all the other fun things that happened on our adventure to the land in the clouds! But, first…a nice nap in my wood chips…and some sweet dreams….zuzuzu…"_

* * *

**CFB:** And...there you have it. The final chapter, loaded with all the sappiness to fill eight chapters! And probably the most boring one of all, haha. I'm...not so good at writing romance. I've never been to a wedding (well, one when I was eight but I fell asleep) so I'm not sure how they run...but I tried!

**Special congrats:** To **Cyndaquil255**, who correctly guessed the tune to Screech's proposal song! It was the tune to 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' the lines 'Oh Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?' GREAT JOB! :D I wish I had a prize for you, haha.

Review!


	21. Epilogue: Shooting Stars

**CFB:** I love epilogues....but this one made me a little sad. And what's this? A double-update? That hasn't happened since Guardian Towers! MY GOSH.

**This time**: The epilogue. And a preview for the sequel at the end!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hamtaro or any of it's characters. I own all concepts and characters presented in this story not related to the original Hamtaro franchise.

Sorry this is late....my computer's on the fritz and I have to fix some more things with it...so I'm running it in safe mode and transferring the data to another computer, but that gets tedious so I hope I can fix it...

For the last time (in this story)....Enjoy!

* * *

**Epilogue:** _Shooting Stars_

It wasn't long before the seasons changed, and splashes of gold, red, brown, and orange decorated the ground of Oak Tree Park, images of fall displayed in the windows of local shops and the crisp, comforting smell of autumn lingering in the air. Sugar cookies sat on windowsills, and shorts were traded in favor of jeans. And, as the air began to chill and nights grew shorter, life resumed as normal for the ham-hams once again, and, despite having two nearly back-to-back harrowing adventures, they were enjoying the peace and quiet as if none of it had ever happened...not saying that they wished to forget their dangerous liaisons, but they were glad for some much-needed rest and relaxation in the calm aftermath, meeting every day for fun and games and laughter, as usual.

One brisk November morning, Hamtaro headed for the Clubhouse as usual, to meet up with his very best hammos. Only this morning, he wasn't walking alone - instead, he walked paw-in-paw with Bijou, a routine he had begun upon their return to Dreamland. On a romantic level, things between the two hams were developing slowly, as Hamtaro was still unsure of what he was doing, but they were enjoying the time they spent together and figuring things out at their own pace. Their time spent together in the mornings, walking together to the Clubhouse, laughing and chatting, was time both held very dear in their heats.

"I may 'ave to borrow one of Pashmina's spare scarves...ze weather keeps getting colder and colder! Pretty soon, we are going to see snow on ze ground!" Bijou commented as they traipsed through the discarded leaves, shivering slightly as the cold autumn wind ruffled her pigtails.

"And then we can build ham-ham snow angels!" Hamtaro suggested brightly ears perking forward at the mention of snow.

Bijou was about to reply, but her blue eyes flickered to the sky distractedly, and her face clouded over with a look of confusion. She abruptly stopped walking, and Hamtaro, not noticing that she had stopped until her paw was yanked free from his, turned around to peer at his companion quizzically. Seeing the pure-white hamgirl staring up at the sky intently, the orange-furred hero implored, walking back to stand beside her,

"Heke? Bijou, what's the matter?"

The hamgirl merely pointed a paw toward something in the clear blue sky and replied in a murmur, voice somewhat distant with a hint of awe, "Zat...zat looks like a _shooting star_!"

Hamtaro's brow furrowed for a moment as he absorbed what she had said, before he let out a chuckle and remarked, brown eyes twinkling, "Bijou, there can't be a shooting star! It's daytime, and the stars only come out at night!"

Bijou merely kept her paw pointed in the air, and insisted, blue eyes mesmerized, "_Look_!"

Skeptically, Hamtaro did so, but was immediately spellbound as his wide brown eyes caught sight of what Bijou had called a 'shooting star'. Hurtling toward them, like a flash of the aforementioned snow against striking blue, was a bright streak of pure white, rocketing toward them so fast that they couldn't discern what shape or size it was supposed to be. The two ham-hams were so caught up staring at the 'star,' they didn't have time to move out of the way as it hurtled through the canopies of the trees, closer and closer until it stopped in midair right in front of them, and a sudden gust was picked up, causing Hamtaro and Bijou to shield their eyes as multicolored leaves were sent flying in all directions.

Only when the wind had died down did they have the courage to open their eyes, and see what it was that had fallen from the sky. And, recognizing it instantly as it stood expectantly in front of them, their eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, smiles spreading wide across their faces, their hearts jumping for joy when they saw the message tube attached to the thing's leg.

"Hamtaro! Ees.....ees zat what I zink eet ees?"

"It sure is, Bij! And a dove landing in Oak Tree Park can only mean one thing...or one _place_, I guess...._Dreamland_!"

* * *

_Dear Ham-hams,_

_All is well with our cloud kingdom once again, thanks to you! Things have continued to operate smoothly - sleep is back to its natural balance for good, the Stone of Slumber has remained untouched since its return, and happiness has been restored to the streets of Dreamland. We can never thank you enough for all you have done! The artisans are working hard on statues in your likeness, to be placed in a new, special room of the Chamber of Peaceful Rest - it shall be named, appropriately, 'The Brave Heroes.' _

_It has only been a couple of months since you departed, but Screech and Fury wanted me to deliver an important message to all of you. They are happily-married, enjoyed a honeymoon in the romantic Hamarin Isles, and have been doing very well....and, according to the Dreamland doctor, they have twins on the way! They're hoping for a boy and a girl, to be named Selena and Oberon. They couldn't be happier! Screech is already training to be a doting father, though he still keeps up with his duties as a knight. Fury is a bit worried that the children will contract the were-ham gene, but the doctor says if they do, it won't be as severe a case, as the blood of the were-ham is diluted over time. We shall see, in a few short months! When the children are born, you will have to come for another visit to see them!_

_Sprint also had a message he wanted me to deliver - and that is he will be coming along to visit Oak Tree Park in the near future. He simply couldn't stay away from his new hammos - one in particular! The residents of Dreamland have started to grow more accepting of Sprint's heritage, so things have been much better for him. Several local hamgirls have expressed their interest in him (and his battle-scars, which have healed) but he has spurned them all - so Siren, you can rest easy. Also, he has a special message for Siren...something along the lines of, 'Flo got fired.' Whatever that means!_

_Since the restrictive law on marriage has been revoked, Joy has announced her intention to marry Watcher Cumulus, whom she had apparently been seeing steadily for over a year, and no one knew! Imagine that - not even Fury or the other Watchers had a clue! And she wishes to extend an invitation to each of you, for the ceremony next month! They are both very happy together, and Joy has healed completely from her fall at Hamaustere._

_Nikolai is doing quite well as an apprentice in his father's shop, and rumor has it that he's even grown a few inches. Once he's old enough, he'll take control of the shop and be Dreamland's exclusive hatmaker, though I still say he has enough bravery to make a splendid knight! Also, he said that next time you ham-hams come for a visit, he has a special hat he wants Cappy to have, from their new product line. And Skyla can't wait to make more cookies for you! She's developed a new recipe that she's been dying to try. _

_Soren is....better. It looks like he has chosen the right path....but the road is long. I just hope he can continue on, and become the Soren I once knew, again._

_I can never truly express to you how thankful I am that you helped Dreamland in its time of dire need! We will forever be in your debt, and we will never forget your kindness - you will be known throughout Dreamland for generations, as the heroes who saved sleep from evil paws. We hope to see all of you soon! And we hope that all is well with you, and we hope that you are all happy and healthy! Don't forget to stay in touch, and know that you will always have friends in the clouds...and in your hearts!_

_Sincerely, your hammos from Dreamland,_

_Hamorette_

_Sprint_

_Screech_

_Fury_

_Joy_

_and Nikolai_

* * *

"Fury and Screech are expecting?!" The hamgirls squealed once Maxwell finished reading the letter, written in Hamorette's flowing cursive script, aloud, their eyes glimmering with excitement. They had been thrilled to receive a letter from their hammos in Dreamland, and even happier once they found out what wonderful news the letter had contained.

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope contributed, jumping up and down with happiness.

"Expecting what?" Hamtaro asked, head tilted to the side. Bijou merely punched him lightly on the shoulder and giggled, finding his confusion adorable rather than irritating.

"Siren you're going to be an aunt!" Sandy remarked to the younger hamgirl, clapping her on the shoulder in congratulations.

Siren grinned, her cheeks glowing faintly pink. "Screech and Fury are having twins...that darn waitress Flo got fired...Steel isn't evil anymore...and Sprint's coming to visit soon! This is almost too much good news for me to handle all at once!"

"Nikolai has a hat for me?" Cappy marveled, touching a paw to his familiar swimming cap. "Wow, I can't _wait _to go and visit Dreamland!"

"And I want to try Skyla's new cookie recipe!" Oxnard stated, mouth watering slightly at the very thought of Skyla's mouth-watering baking skills.

"How can you say this is good news? Joy's been swept off her feet by another ham! And I thought I still had a chance!" Stan grumbled, glowering at the floor, while his twin, standing beside him, nudged him in the ribcage and snapped, though her eyes were smiling, "You _never _had a chance, bro! Like, dream on!"

"Sounds like everything is a-okay in Dreamland!" Boss commented with a sage nod of his head. "And I bet everyone up there will be glad to know that things are okay here as well! What do you say hams? How about we write them a return letter, so those doves don't go back empty-handed?"

"You mean empty-_winged_! Ya know, 'cause doves ain't got no hands! Harhar!" Howdy joked.

Dexter rolled his eyes and stuck his nose in the air. "Is it just me, or are your jokes decreasing in humor each day? Not that they were ever funny to begin with..."

"Can it, four-eyes!"

"I think writing a letter to Dreamland is a great idea!" Panda, speaking loudly, so to silence the bickering between the two hamspars. "We can let them know how happy we are that everything is okay now, and tell them that we're all okay too! They took the time to write to us after all, and the least we can do is return the favor."

"Great idea!" Pashmina cheered. "Who has paper?"

Maxwell, already eager to get started on the letter, had already situated himself at his stool around the table, pen in hand, glasses on the edge of his nose, and blank sheet of paper on the table in front of him. Smiling around at his hammos, eyes shining, the book-smart ham said, "Gather round the table, hams! I'll write the letter, and you guys just tell me what to say! I figured we'd start with '_To our dearest friends in Dreamland'..._"

The ham-hams eagerly flocked around the table, sitting down on their individual stools and chattering all at once to the furiously writing Maxwell, wanting their words to make it into the letter they would send off to their friends in the clouds. Hamtaro, however, hung back for a moment, and just looked around at his friends and smiled, as they recounted their adventure and spoke excitedly about what had been going on in the two months since. The hero sighed, and listened to their words, remembering the times, good and bad, he had spent in Dreamland, on another perilous journey, with an outcome he never could have imagined, not even in his dreams. He would always remember the adventure fondly, but he was glad now that he had time to relax, and not worry about anything even remotely related to heroism...

He was happy it was over.

But Hamtaro, as he joined his friends around the table, could also feel, sleeping somewhere deep in his soul, his heroic side was waiting, just waiting, for the next adventure to come along, and that part of him simply couldn't wait to see what thrills would be in store for him, and his friends in the future.

_**END**_

* * *

_**Special thank yous!:**_ Awsomewriter123, dbzgtfan, sandyandmaxwellfanatic, Theta Jones, supercomputer276, Michaia, Deston, Macarov, and Cyndaquil255, the reviewers of this story. YOU ALL ROCK. And I am so grateful you read my story! Without you all, I probably wouldn't have finished Rain of Nightmares, but thanks to you, I saw it through to the end and even if I wasn't the most reliable updater in the world (not even close, haha), you stuck with me and my spaz-like tendencies (or at least stuck with the story), which isn't always easy to do, I know. So...thank you, thank you, thank you! :D

**_Preview for_ Forests of Eternity_, final installment of the Guardian Trilogy:_** Beneath the shadowy canopies of a forbidden forest, dark secrets lie and an unknown evil lurks. A tribe of hamsters in the Hamalonian Forest need help to stop a savage beast that has been terrorizing the local villagers, sent by an unknown paw. Two warriors boldly venture out to find brave heroes...and that's where the ham-hams step in to lend a paw once again! One ham-ham needs a vacation and steps aside, giving the spotlight to the other hams as they take a trip deep into a forest that time forgot to cure a horrible imbalance between the reality and myth. Someham has summoned a terrible power to open a permanent gate to the spirit world - which could mean the end of all hamkind! One ham questions her destiny, another desperately seeks his, one realizes that maybe she wants something more out of life, and another contemplates giving up something important for the one she loves. Ancient secrets are revealed, and the ham-hams encounter their very first enemy who may be more than mortal - and the powerful ham who called him forth. It's going to take a lot to stop an undead High Priest, a master manipulator, and the powers of the spirit-realm! It may take a little magic, some comradery, flying feathers, and a mysterious melody...

AND THERE WILL BE_** NO**_ PLOTLINE INVOLVING THE HUMANS, BECAUSE FRANKLY, I STOPPED GIVING A CRAP HALFWAY THROUGH RoN! :D

I'm really excited to work on this story! More excited than I was for GT and RoN, and you all should be too! This time around, I'm not the only one contributing to the story, either. FoE will feature _two_ OC's and numerous ideas created by **Theta Jones**! Many thanks once again for helping me out!

I'm expecting FoE to be in posting shape by mid-September. If work permits it, that is...I've had to add on hours because I'll have less time to work (and earn money) once school starts. But I won't let stupid things (like immature boys, procrastination, trying to beat level 54, and complete lack of sleep) get in my way of writing this time around, haha! At least I _hope_ not...you never know. Kay...bye-bye!


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